Siblings of Metal
by Tyara Laedros
Summary: Everyone know the story of Harry Potter and his friends. But how many of you know the story of the Siblings of Metal ? No history book ever mentionned them. They are the forgotten names. The unknown heroes... John Shepard was a Slytherin, joining Hogwarts the same year Potter did. And he has a story for you... HP x Mass Effect Crossover
1. Prologue

**A/N** : This is my very first fanfic, and English is not my mother tongue. However, I'm having so much fun writing this, I hope you will like it. Feel free to give me any feedbacks !

**PROLOGUE**

It's always the same, you know ? The same pattern, since the beginning of time. The winners write History, and the losers don't get a saying, no matter what the truth actually is. What we usually forgot, it's that even in the winning side, people are forgotten, or ignored. The facts, what they did and say, it doesn't matter. Like they never were actually there, just a blur in the background.

This is why I want to vomit everytime someone mentions Harry Potter, the "Boy who lived", or "The Golden Trio", or anything about the "glorious and tragic story of the three teens who destroyed the most powerful dark wizard Britain ever saw".

Don't get me wrong, I don't have anything against Potter and his crew. I don't hold any grudge. I even admire the guy, in some ways. I don't really like him, sure, but there is no denying about his bravery, the things he went through and still managed to be a decent human being. That Weasley boy is a prick, but even him is not that bad in the end. But what tears me up inside, like a glove of burning metal squeezing my guts, is the fact that nobody ever said a word about us. About what we did. About how we resisted. How we fought, and lost friends. But we were not the Dumbledore's Army, now, were we? We had nothing to do with Potter, so nobody cared.

Let me tell you a story. A story that nobody will ever care to believe. Not that anyone even tried, anyway…

I need to tell you all about the Siblings of Metal….

^^^^^^^^

My name is John Shepard, I am a Slytherin. I got sorted into the house of green and sliver on the 1st of September. My first mistake, our first mistake, was already made: we got sorted after Potter. The boy looked terrified and so brave at the same time, we were all looking at him with glowing eyes, while he was sitting with that weird old hat on his head. The Gryffindor Table scared the hell out of us when they screamed and yelled their joy of having "the boy who lived" joining them.

But do you know what happened then ? Probably not. Nobody does anyway, because all that mattered was Potter. The teachers looked at no one but him. Even Gryffindor didn't really care about their other new recruits… It was all about him, not that he asked for it, to be honest.

I was sorted to Slytherin barely ten minutes later. I got a seat, and started eating in silence, keeping my head low. Few minutes later, two kids joined me, and this was probably the most important thing that has ever happened to me. Ashley Williams and Kaidan Alenko. From what I picked up, they already met in the train, the Hogwarts Express, and the boy Alenko was eager to make another friends. Williams was a bit more distant, more serious, but she had a bright smile. You could really see she was happy to be there.

\- _So what's your name,_ he asked first.

\- _I'm Shepard. John Shepard. Nice to meet you._

\- _I'm Kaidan, and this is Ashley ! So it looks like we're gonna spend the next years of our lives sharing the same dorms, and the same classes! That is so cool ! _

It was hard not to share his enthusiasm, even though, deep down, I was still scared to death. Eleven years old me, who discovered magic barely few weeks before, was not really comfortable with everything being so… well, magic.

Williams even looked concerned, which scared me even more, when I said my two parents were "Muggles".

\- _I would not say that to everyone, _she whispered_. Some people here think magic, and Hogwarts, should be for "purebloods" only. Especially in Slytherin… _

I nodded, taking good not of this advice. Do you have any idea how hard it is for a Mudblood to be in Slytherin? The taunting, the disgust, the insults… The same they put on you. Thanks to her, I escaped that fate for a while, but I'll get back to that later.  
She was a pureblood. That the word she used, but it really looks like she had to spit it. She explained that her parents, and her parent's parents, were all wizards, since the beginning of her bloodline.

I saw a blond boy turning his head towards us when she mentioned the "purebloods". Not sure about what he heard, or thought he heard, but he try to address her his most charming smile before turning back to his goons. It was the first time of many that Malfoy would try to hit on Williams.

Alenko was a son of two wizards as well, but his mother was "Half blood". Wizard father and Muggle mother. He kept rambling on his parents meeting in Slytherin and how he was happy to be in the same house. Williams was not so excited, as her parents were both in Ravenclaws, but some of her grandparents were in Slytherin, so it was not that bad after all.  
None of it would mean anything to my parents, for sure.

Anyway, I am going to fast forward here. I spent my first four years my head down, learning as much as I could about magic and doing my best in class. I was not half bad, to be honest. I even think II was top of the class in Defense against the Dark Arts and Charms, at least among the First Years of Slytherin.

Williams and Alenko quickly became my best friends, people I could not live without. We spent all our time together. Truthfully, we were very much like the Golden Trio, back then, except for our colors. The only thing that mattered to us were our friendship, and our classes.

We witnessed Potter's first Quidditch games and Slytherin losing the House Cup on a twist at the end of our first year. We witnessed the blood on the walls and whispers about the Heir of Slytherin during our second year. We witnessed the Dementors, and Potter falling from the sky during our third. We witnessed the TriWizard Tournament, shared our classes with Durmstrang and Beauxbatons during our fourth.

It was when Dolores Umbridge arrived at Hogwarts, at the beginning of our fifth year, that we actually stopped being nothing but witnesses.


	2. The pink bitch

**CHAPTER 1**

That bloody pink bitch. My skin crawl just to think about her. I don't even know where to start ! I think the best is to put things back into context.

When we came back into the castle on the 1st of September, 1995, the air was so heavy, so thick, we could cut it with a butter knife. Potter had been claiming the return of Lord Voldemort, that famous Dark Wizard that us muggleborns have never heard of before setting foot into this world.  
People were calling him a liar. Glancing at him when they thought he wasn't looking. But the truth was, he came back with the body of Diggory, and no one here thought he could have killed him. No one. So, somebody, or something, did this to the boy.  
Yeah, they were all calling him a liar, but they were all so scared he might be right. That was the smell. Behind the exquisite scent of the roasted chickens, and the potatoes, and all the good things on our tables, the places already reeked of fear, despite the speech of our Headmaster.

Only one person among the teachers was smiling. She was introduced as our new DADA teacher, straight from the Ministry, and her voice felt like screeching on chalkboard. I wanted to hand myself before the even finished her first sentence. I knew already, this was going to be a hard, long year…

But it felt so good to be back in our Common Room with Alenko, waiting for Williams changing into something more comfortable. I missed the carvings on the stone walls, and this green light coming from the lake through our windows. It always felt so relaxing to me, you know. The warmth of the flames in the chimney, the leather of our sits, the sounds of the second year playing chess… It was fitting that the room was beneath the lake, because it always gave me the same sensation of peace I have when I put my head underwater in a hot bath.

\- _So, do you think Potter is lying? That He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is back and kill the Hufflepuff champion? _Asked Williams while letting herself fall onto the sofa next to me.

\- _I don't know_, I said._ To be honest, I think he's saying what he thinks is the truth. He's no liar. But that doesn't mean Vold…You-know-who was actually the murderer. Or I don't know, maybe he's just a ghost and has somebody doing his bidding? Or he got smashed on the head and hallucinated. _

\- _Hell, I hope he got it wrong, said Alenko, putting a hand on my shoulder. I know you don't know much about it, John, even we don't, because we were barely born, but those were really bad times you know. Like Muggle World War Two, for some. People were hunted, killed, or just vanished, while the government was saying "Everything is fine" with a big bright smile. _

I gave him a mean look, to remind him not to let slip anything about my origins. Especially now ! Williams picked up the clue, and quickly changed the subject.

\- _So, what about this new DADA teacher? I hope she's any good, I'm tired of having weirdos as teachers ! How are we supposed to get through our O.W.L.S without a proper teacher this year? _

I shrugged, but before Kaidan had a chance to answer, somebody shouted across the room.

\- _It was about time the Ministry started getting involved! You can bet your wand that this time, we will finally have a real teacher !_

Malfoy let himself fall onto the last spot on the sofa, his arm around Ashley's shoulder.

\- _Trust me, Williams, _he said with a wide grin_, my father knows what he's doing. No more fricking werewolves or lying weirdos ! Now that the Ministry, and my father, are in on it, you will see my friends ! This place is gonna get cleaned up from all this filth, and will be restored to its former glory ! _

Of course, we all knew who he was referring to when speaking of filth.

\- _Why? _She answered while moving his hand, to his great regret._ You think she's gonna be helping Argus Filch? That would be weird. But maybe you could also help him, if you think the castle is so dusty !_

Malfoy's smile disappeared while Kaidan had to bite his hand to refrain his laughter. Ashley was still looking at him with a wide innocent grin, like there was no sarcasm in her answer. She was so very good at it, Malfoy always ended up played like a fiddle. He was very incapable of saying anything mean to her, he never had any comeback. As always, he just paused, looked at her, tried a smile and then walked away.

It was too much for Kaidan who just burst into laughters right after Malfoy quit the room.

\- Goddamit, Williams, I missed that so much! You just are the best, you know that?

\- Of course I know my dear, she said imitating the voice and manners of Malfoy. Being any less than the best would be a disgrace to our blood, don't you think?

We laughed a lot, and boy we should have laugh more… Because it was going to be the last laugh before long…

OooOooOooO

The day after was our very first with the new DADA teacher. Still all dressed in pink, she started talking, with her high pitched inhuman voice about how very never truly had a respectable teacher in the class (which was true), and how we would start over from the basics, which already started to feel like a big pile of bullshit.

Kaidan and I were sitting at the back of the class, behind Crabbe and Goyle, mostly because I hoped her voice wouldn't feel so loud and screeching in my head. As often, we were sharing the class with Gryffindor, and Ashley was sitting next to one of its member, a funny dude everyone called Joker. His real name was Moreau, and he was the kind of guy you can't really hate, you know? I barely shared three words with him over the years, Williams a bit more, but still, he was always smiling, always joking, but in a way lighter and less aggressive way than the Weasley twins ! We figured it was his way of dealing with his medical problems.

Anyway, Umbridge explained us how we would not need a wand for this course, how everything would be nothing but theoretical, and I knew for sure, once again, we were super screwed. But, of course, it was just the beginning, and after barely five minutes, Potter made his show. Holding his ground before Umbridge, saying again and again that Voldemort was back and that Cedric Diggory was murdered. Kaidan made me a sign, showing his admiration for the boy's bravery, or his stupidity, but that not what I noticed the most. I was looking at his hands. How his fists were clenched, his joints getting white under the tension, his arms shaking. I saw how, while arguing with the woman, he was doing his best to keep not jumping on her and slitting her throat with his bare teeth. I saw a human doing all he could to keep the animal inside at bay.

And that scared the hell out of me. Nobody could get so upset over a lie. I understood there that he was afraid, anxious that he could not protect us all, and that us not getting real DADA lesson was another weight on his shoulders.

I know it sounds stupid, like, how can see all that when you're fifteen, just by looking at a teenager lashing out ? I don't really know how to explain, it just struck me like if I've got ran over by the Knight Bus. Anyway, he got a week worth a detention, and I tried to focus back on the stupid book Umbridge had handed over. I tried to shield my mind from her atrocious voice, reading the same words and sentences over and over again, diving deep into my own world until the end of class.

Two days later, on the 4th, we were sitting in our common room after the last class, doing our homework as usual, when Kaidan asked :

\- _Guys, did you see Potter's hand today ? I'm pretty sure I saw some blood dripping from under the bandage ! Do you think that… _

\- _Umbridge did this to him in detention ? _guessed Ashley_. I don't know. I've heard a few rumors, but it's hard to tell. I mean, she looks and sounds crazy, but she's Ministry right ? There's no way in hell Fudge would endorse this kind of punishments from his own staff… The backlash would be way too dangerous for him. Especially if it ever happens to the son or daughter of someone high placed, like Malfoy, or even Longbottom…_

\- _Yeah, and it's Potter_, I said_. People could start to think they're trying to shut him up, which Umbridge is for sure, but that really could look suspicious…_

\- _Since when are people clever enough to pick up this kind of clue? _Kaidan sighed.

I had nothing to answer, and he closed his book, rose, and put his and on my shoulder before leaving.

\- _I'm going to sleep, bro. It's been only two days, but I feel like two years… I need to sleep it off._

I nodded, and waved a silent goodnight.  
Ashley sighed, and left the table too. She made two steps toward the exit before turning back to me. She looked at me, a mix of sadness, despair and exhaustion in her beautiful dark eyes.

\- We gotta be prepared, John, she finally said. I fear the worst, and I think so does Alenko. This whole DADA thing feels like the beginning of an apocalypse.

\- I know, I whispered. I feel it too. Sleep tight Ashley.

She smiled, a smile full of affection, but empty of all joy. She was beautiful, but this sad smile broke my heart.  
I got back to my quill and my Transfiguration essay. I needed to get this done before going to sleep. Just a few more inches…

OooOooOooO

Kaidan was probably right. Each day of this first week, Potter seemed more in pain than the day before. I know he tried to hide it, but I was looking. Every time we had something to write, he was hesitant to pick up his quill. His grimace grew larger every day. It had to be the detentions! Or maybe something happened during the Quiddich tryouts, but I had my doubts, even though there was nothing for me to do.

The whole first month felt deadly long. With the OWLS coming at the end of the year, the teachers went hard on us, with more homework than ever, each one of them lecturing us on how their class are so important, how this year might be decisive for the rest of our lives, etc… We all could feel the pressure, but it was not only this.  
We all felt how the mood had changed. How we heard way fewer laughs in the hallways than before, how people were whispering more than talking. The air around us looked darker, like a thin grey veil in front of every lights, candles and windows. It was hard to put words on this feeling, but after three weeks I was hard for me to breathe, and to escape this omnipresent sensation that something bad was going to happen.

Some people, of course, thrived. Enjoying this to its highest point, mostly because Potter was always looking so miserable, Malfoys was walking like a king in his kingdom. Well, even more than before. Umbridge too, could not stop smiling, and even Snape looked less sinister.

Kaidan, Ashley and I, kept our routine as usual: work hard, keep our heads down and our eyes opened.

The first visit to Hogsmead was drawing near, and with it, the very moment where everything would change.  
The day before, during our DADA class, I saw Joker leaning to Ashley, whispering something in her ear. I thought at first that he was, finally, making a move, but his face was way too serious for this. She looked at him, said nothing, just nodded once.

That night, before we parted ways to our dorms, she said :

\- _Potter is making a move. Tomorrow, at the Hog's Head. Granger is setting up a meeting to discuss this DADA problem._

\- _And ?_

\- _And I think we should go. _


	3. The Empress and the Joker

**CHAPTER 2**

\- _So… Alright… So, erm… You… I guess you know why we're all here, erm… Harry had the idea, I mean, I had the idea… About the defense against the Dark Arts…_

Granger looked terrified. For such a smartass, talking in public was, weirdly enough, not her strong suit. Anyway, most of the people here, around twenty five person I think, were eyeballing Potter, barely paying attention to what she was saying. But I was, and I strongly agreed with her. Getting some real practice against the Dark Arts was mandatory if we wanted a real shot at this OWL, but more than that, if we had to fight for real, against Voldemort and his army, or any other real threat, really, like, for example, an escaped prisoner from Azkaban murdering his way into the castle?

But of course, as always, the conversation moved back to Potter.

\- _You mean that Dumbledore believes HIM !_ snarled Zacharias Smith, pointing at Potter with the tips of his chin.

\- _This is not really why we're here, tried Granger._

\- _It's OK, Hermione. _There we go, Potter stepping in_. I saw him with my own eyes. But if you don't believe Dumbledore, you ain't gonna believe me and I sure as hell won't waste my time trying to convince you. If you are here so I call tell you what does Voldemort looks like when he's murdering you, I can't help you ! _

I have to admit, he was not backing down a single inch. I saw his anger rising, again, and how he tried to keep it at bay. But he was not finished yet :

\- _I don't want to talk about Cedric! _We heard a muffled sob from the first row, probably his ex-girlfriend._ If you're here for this, you can clear the place!_

Granger tried to get back to the topic, but once again, it all shifted to Potter. How he faced the Dark Lord. How he killed a bloody basilisk with goddamn sword! And even faced the ghost of Voldemort on his very first year at the castle! We all heard rumors before, of course, but even as he tried to be humble about it, it was hard not to believe it. By all standards that was incredibly amazing. He could invoke a Patronus! A real one, not just a pale steam that looked like the smoke of the blown candle on a birthday cake, which is exactly the result I got the previous year when I tried it. He flew against a dragon, and won the TriWizard Tournament. The dude already sounded like a bloody legend, and he was barely fifteen.

So yeah, despite the doubts, when Hermione Granger talked about the list, everyone here, including Zach Smith, got up to sign it, promising not to reveal a thing to Umbridge. Everyone, except us.  
Sitting in the back, I looked Jeff Moreau joining the queue, and put my hand on Kaidan's arm to stop him from doing the same, shaking my head to tell him not to.

He looked at me with a hundred questions in his eyes, but he sat back. Ashley raised an eyebrow, wondering what I wanted to do, and I dragged them to another table. In the end, it seems that absolutely no one in Potter's group ever paid attention to us… I asked the bartender for 3 Butterbeers, and waited for the rest of them to leave.

\- _What the hell, John? _snapped Alenko once we were the only students left_. You know she was right! There's no way in hell we're gonna get our OWLS, no to speak about defending ourselves, with a teacher like that! _

\- _Do you mean our High Inquisitor? _whispered Ashley with a smile.

\- _No, I'm talking about the troll in the bathrooms! Oh wait, Potter killed that one four years ago ! Of course I'm talking about her! _

\- _Hey, calm down, _she answered calmly putting her hand on his arm_. I know, I was just kidding. What's going on?_

\- _I just don't understand why Shepard didn't want us to go! I know it's risky, but I didn't picture you as a coward, man! _

That was not bait I was going to take. I sat back, drank another sip. It felt good down my throat, like a bowl of fresh air after this month of suffocating inside the castle.

\- Think a second. Did you see any other Slytherins here? No. We were here just because Joker told Ashley about it, but there's no way Potter and his crew let us is. We're too close to Malfoy just by being in the same house. We're enemies to them. Even if they try to keep an open mind, they will never really trust us…

A voice rose from behind us. Female, young but steady.

\- If we want to do something, we have to do it on our own.

That was Miranda Lawson, the Queen of Slytherin.

OooOooOooO

Miranda Lawson was the same age as we were, but she was living from a whole different world. She was the absolute perfection, her dark hair, her blue eyes, her pale skin, her body, everything in her looked like it was specially picked up to create a goddess. She looked a bit older than us, almost already an adult.

She was from a very ancient pureblood family and her father was pretty much the only person in magical Britain with more money than Malfoy. Even Draco never dared to make a move on her, to scared he would get crushed, humiliated, or that it would somehow fall back on his family and his father's reputation.

In the end, she was always alone. Top of the class, as Hermione Granger was, always working and so focused, no one ever saw her with a friend. She felt so cold that people started calling her the Ice Queen, or the Snake Empress.

And she was just there, taking her hood down and talking to us for the first time in four years.

OooOooOooO

She looked at the empty chair on my left and I offered the seat by a wave of hand. I had no idea what she was doing there, but I knew we were about to find out. Kaidan, though, did not have that patience:

\- _What does the Snake Empress do here? _

Ashley slapped his arm, disapproving of this designation, but Lawson did not take offense. She just offered him a smile, but I felt the pain hidden behind. So much pain and loneliness, I felt my heart fall into my chest. I was not about to show anything of it, but still.

\- _Same as you, I guess. I heard about the rumors of a meeting set by Potter so we could get our OWLS. I was curious. _

\- _But where were you? _asked Ashley_. I didn't see you in the group! _

\- _I was right here, _she answered, designating a chair in the corner_. Unlike you, I was not about to risk getting caught with that bunch, just in case someone spill the beans to Umbitch!_

I smiled at her using that nickname, while Kaidan fake a shocked reaction, in hand on his heart and the mouth wide open.

\- _Lady Lawson! What a language! _

She chuckled, a truly delighting sound really, before going back to business.

\- Potter will never let us in his group, and Weasley even less. If we want to do something, we have to do it on our own.

I looked at them, and leaned on the table.

\- _You three have to tell me, honestly. What do you want? Do you want to practice so you can get your OWLS? Or do you want to get stronger in case the Dark Lord is really back? Because those a two really different things, and I can't help you with the first. The second, however…_

I was sure Lawson was nothing more than a beautiful nerd and that all she cared about was the exams and being top of the class to please dear old daddy. But I was damn wrong. She was the first one to answer :

\- _I don't care about the DADA OWLS. I can manage this on my own. Besides, it's not the only class anyway. _Her voice lowered, almost like a growl_. I want the strength. _She looked at me right in the eyes._ The power._

\- _Yeah, same for me, _said Ashley_. I did not bring you here guys so we could join a book club. I just want to be able to take care of myself, in case there another shit breaking down at the castle like last year. And the year before. And the one before that._

Kaidan didn't say a word, just nodded with a smile, meaning "I'm with you guys".

\- _So, what do you have in mind, _asked Ashley_. I know you're not half bad with a wand, but I don't see many things you can do with it that I can't!_

\- _You're 100% right darling,_ I said with a light laugh_. I'd even say you're better than me on almost every topic. Listen guys, I need to think about it to figure this out properly, but I think there is something I can teach you. Something really different… and I hope way more effective than anything Potter has to show them._

We heard the door squeaking behind us, and Jeff "Joker" Moreau declaimed:

\- _I'm in too!_


	4. The beginning of the beginning of a plan

**CHAPTER 3**

\- _What are you doing here Joker ? I asked, surpised._

\- _Well, we have to go back to the castle very soon. I did not see you get out, I figured maybe you stayed there, so I came back for you… And I just heard what you said. I want to join you!_

\- _Joker… _I started.

\- _The others did not want me! Granger said that it would be too dangerous for me, that I could get hurt! Weasley even said that I could be a liability if they had to run! _

I felt the despair in his voice, his will to finally prove that he was more than just brittle bones in a meat suit. That he could be useful. But I had to crush his hopes, otherwise this could turn very, very ugly.

\- _Listen, man, _I sighed_. I hear you, I really do, but I can't. What I have in mind is really not for you, really. Just the basics could kill you._

\- _But... but… _he stuttered.

\- _And what if you actually explain what you have in mind? _interrupted Ashley_. You're all mysterious and stuff, but you're starting to make it sound very dangerous and I don't wanna sign into anything without at least a few details. I trust you, but not blindly._

Joker's eyes were begging, and Kaidan looked at me with a quick nod toward Williams, probably meaning something like "what she says". Lawson was also starring at me, obviously waiting for me to say more. I didn't like to spill out my plan before actually working on it, but I did not really have a choice at this point.

\- _Ok, so, we don't have much time it seems, but I'll make it quick. But you better promise not to say a fucking word of it to anyone! Ashley, Kaidan, you both know that my parents are muggles. What you don't know guys is that they're both in the military. High ranking officers in the Royal Navy. My father was a Royal Marine, even worked for the S.B.S. before I was born. The Special Boat Service. Needless to say that he raised me rather … tightly, if I might say._

But they obviously did not get it, and didn't understand where I was going. It's impressive how the wizarding world can be so close, and yet so ignorant of the muggle world. But I guess we could say the same thing the other way around. Anyway, I decided to use another angle.

\- _Do you know the wizards biggest weakness? The most obvious one, to me at least? _

\- _The fact that we don't really need boats anymore? _

\- _No Kaidan, _I chuckled_, not really. It's their bodies. Your bodies, guys. You are all so weak! You are so used to do everything by magic, everything! Everything is done for you, by magic or house elves. Even your sport, Quidditch, even though it looks pretty intense, is played by staying sit on a broom! And worst of all, you don't train, ever! Wizards just learn. You try a new spell, or a new potion, and try again until you got it, but then, you're more or less expected just to remember it and then move on. But you don't practice, again, and again, and again. What would be the point? A spell will always remain the same spell._

\- _I'll have you know that doing magic can be pretty tiring, _said Ashely, vexed.

\- _Exactly! So imagine what you could do, or should I say how much magic you could do, if you had the body and the stamina of an athlete?_

\- _So that what you want us to do? Train our bodies muggle-style to reinforce our magic? _

I smiled at her. She was getting it, but did not see the whole picture yet.

\- _That's only the very first step my dear. The basics. I lost a lot since I started to come to Hogwarts with you guys, but since I was six years old, my father… My father has been training me to be a soldier, like him. And every summer, when I go back home, it's back to intense training with Sir Shepard. _

\- _You don't look that jacked, _teased Joker.

\- _Have you seen me without my robe_? I answered back_. Kaidan knows_

He nodded.

\- _So, I guess that explains your push-ups every morning. I always thought you were crazy, just some kind of weird muggle thing, but this makes much more sense._

\- _But what do you want to train us to? _asked Miranda again_. Stop beating around the bush !_

\- _I can teach you how to put someone out of a fight, _I answered, lowering my voice_. How to win. How to destroy an opponent. Hell, I could even show you how to kill, even though that's not the goal here. I spent the last four years, since my very firsts lessons here, thinking of a way to mix magic and muggle technics. You rely on magic so much that you're as defenseless as a baby the very second we take your wands away! But if I can teach you some other skills, you would still stand a chance! _

\- _So you want to turn us into soldiers? Like you? _

Ashley's voice was cold as ice. I could understand why, for a pureblood, this kind of things could be weird, or even disgusting, but I knew I could make her understand what I really wanted to say.

\- _No, Ash. Not at all. It would take years of daily training to reach that kind of level, and anyway I'm not interested in some kind of personal army. But I can give you tools, means to fight back, survive, and prevail, if needs be. It's better to have a warrior in the garden, than a gardener in the battlefield, as the proverb goes._

\- _Okay, _she smiled, relieved. I got it.

\- _But it comes through pain, my friends. That's not something that can be learned from a book, like a spell. You will not like it, I assure you. At least until the day you realize how strong you've become and what you can actually do… And then you will start to like it. Are you still in?_

All three Slytherins nodded, Miranda without hesitation, to my great surprise. Joker, however, just rose from his chair and started to limp his way out.

\- _Joker, wait! _

He stopped but did not look back. He was just staring at the floor, probably with tears ready to flood, and spat those words.

\- _I know that's not for me! That's even worse than Potter's dumb idea! I can't do any of it! _

I stood up and join him, put my hand on his shoulder.

\- _But you have the heart of a true Gryffindor! The spirit of a fighter! _

\- _What's the point if my body doesn't follow? _

\- _The point is, I might have something else for you. Something that requires your wits and your bravery way more than your legs. _

I saw his eyes literally lighting up. I'm pretty sure that was the first time someone ever entrusted him with something.

\- _Tell me! What can I do? _

\- _I want you to spy for us…_

OooOooOooO

We were walking as fast as we could, very sure to be late for our return back to the castle and face our very first detention. It was not easy with Joker limping, but he did his best, biting his lips to swallow the pain.

At first he was very much against the idea of having to spy on Potter and the Gryffindors for us. I had to explain that I just need to know how they are going to handle for little club so I could adapt, and swear on my mother's life that I would never use anything he might tell us to do them harm. He still hesitated, but the idea to finally be part on something was more appealing, and he ended up shaking my hand with a nod.

McGonagall, seeing her student trying his best to catch up, actually went soft on us and barely scolded us, warning us not to be late next time.

Moreau went back with his class, without a single look back to, which was smart. Some Slytherins were raising an eyebrow at Lawson, thinking it was weird to see her hanging around some other people, but that might just be a coincidence…

OooOooOooO

We were not even started already that Umbridge was already making her first move against us, or more probably against Potter, but we were still caught in it. On Sunday evening, when we went to the Great Hall for our evening snack, we discovered a hug poster on the Slytherin billboard. By the looks of it, every House had a copy, and Gryffindors look the most afflicted of all. It was the Education Decree n°24, and the beginning of our war against Umbridge, and therefore, the Ministry…

We saw the captain of every Quidditch team starting to panic, seeing their schedule going up in smoke. Angelina Johnson was even more scared that Gryffindor would not be allowed to play. Not that I believe McGonagall would ever allow this to happen, but everyone could hear her begging Potter not to piss Umbitch off anymore.

But to me, it was still a big problem. This decree was clearly made to prevent things like Dumbledore's Army to be created, so it raised the question: did someone already speak? I guessed not, otherwise people would already be expelled, Granger and Potter first on the list, but it probably meant that rumors were starting to spread, and they reached the High Inquisitor's ears. I didn't even know how, where, and when I would teach my friends what I promised then, and it was already become more difficult to do so! But it was also the last proof, if we needed any more, that I had to do it. So I went on, and spotted Miranda Lawson in the crowd.

\- _I need to know, _I whispered in her ear_, are you really ready to go through this?_

\- _More than ever. _Her face showed the perfect focus and determination I was hoping to find.

\- _Alright then, I think we will need to use you…_

\- _Already ahead of you, she said. I took an appointment with Umbridge for tomorrow. What do we need, though? And what is our cover story?_

\- _For a start, we need some preparation. So we're not gonna lie too much : say that we want to train our healing skills, that we might be interested in careers as Mediwitches or Healers, and that we would need a room to work together, and brew some potions. We could even get Snape involved in this… _

Kaidan reached for me behind my back, and put his hand on my shoulder. He was smiling, but I knew it was a fake smile, put on not to draw any attention. His words were sharp and cold:

\- _What the hell, John? Healing? That's not what you told us! We are supposed to learn of to defend ourselves! To become strong!_

I smile back, but mine wasn't fake at all.

\- _Bro, if I am to break half of your bones, we better be sure to know how to heal them…_

OooOooOooO

Four days later, Thursday evening after diner, we were all gathered in a small unused classroom in the dungeons, not far from Snape's potion classroom. Lawson had no trouble getting the authorization from Umbridge. With her bright smile and the innocent look of a perfect little pureblood whom father could do or undo a career at the Ministry, the Inquisitor was very eager to please her.

Miranda told us that the High Inquisitor looked suspicious at first when she mentioned a Gryffindor joining the group, us four being Slytherins, but with Joker's condition it was not heard to explain why he was interested in such a course. She also got to talk with Professor Snape. He didn't want to waste any time with us, too much work he said, but he agreed to give us access to some of his equipment, and even some ingredient from his reserve if asked properly. That was just perfect.

\- _Ok, so what's the plan now? _asked Kaidan_. We got the room, even though it seems way too small to practice spells or whatever weird muggles things you want to teach us. _

\- _We cannot afford to be too hasty, _I answered, hoping to calm Kaidan's ardor_. You've seen it just like the rest of us. Student could be expelled by this Decree, and even if we do have permission to gather and use this place, I'm pretty sure Umbitch would not like to find out that we are doing something very much different from healing practice… _

\- _Still, what's the plan, _raised Ashley_. If you even have one._

\- _And what can I do? _added Joker_._

I sighed. They all seemed so impatient, getting them to wait will be hard, and any mistake could cost us dear.

\- _I have the beginning of a plan, that will give us the time to figure out the rest of it. Here is what we're gonna do : we will spend time at the library to search and find anything we can use about healing spells and potions. I mean it guys, we cannot afford to go forward without serious skills in this! If you can to be strong and powerful in such a short period of time, you will have to put your body and health on the line! It's not something Muggles can do, that's why it takes them years and years to reach a high level. _

\- _We understand, _assured Miranda for the rest of the group._ We should gather back here on Monday with everything we found to share our discoveries._

\- _Perfect. Joker, keep an eye on Potter. With this Decree, he's gonna get himself into even more serious trouble, but I'm betting he will not back down. I want to know how they will work this out! _

He nodded.

\- _One more thing. Don't spread the word, we have to keep it secret. But if you find any trustworthy student that might be interested in our "cause", bring them in. The ideal would be five more people. We're barely a team here. We need a crew._


	5. A giant in the night

**CHAPTER 4**

Only a week had passed since the Hog's Head meeting. We had homework to keep us busy almost all week-end long, but we found time to head for the library on Saturday evening. While the girls and Kaidan were looking for everything we could use in the healing section, I was searching for something a bit different.

The first thing I needed was some information about the very nature of magic, its sources, and what makes a wizard more powerful than another. We talked about it a bit over the years, in History of Magic, Charm or Transfiguration Classes, but never truly in depths, and I needed to know if my theories were correct, otherwise half of the training I was thinking about would become irrelevant.

Mrs Pince, the librarian, was actually helpful for once and kept any unpleasant comment to herself. Or at least, until I came back to her with my second request: I needed to find some information about the Auror training. She discarded me rather aggressively, stating she was busy and had other things to do. Besides, this kind of things was supposed to be secret anyway. I used all the politeness I had in me to asked again, explaining I was considering an Auror career, and I wanted to see if they were any exercises, spells, or trainings I could practice from now on until my N.E. to be prepared as best as I could. She bought the lie, and just pointed me in a global direction, saying I might find a book or two.

I came back to the table were my friends were already taking notes, almost forty-five minutes later, with five books in my hands. It took me so long to find what I wanted that, two hours later, Miranda, Ashley and Kaidan had to leave me there to go and eat. I was hungry too, I felt my stomach rumbling, but I finally had it, and needed to take as much notes as possible while I was at it. Looking back, this is one of the best decisions I ever made, as it led to the meeting of my now best friend, the one who saved my life.

OooOooOooO

It was almost when I headed out, and curfew was close. I had to hurry back to our dorm, but I had everything I needed and even more, that was perfect.  
I could feel the rush, the adrenaline of the anticipation of what was about to come. I knew for sure we could make something great, and I could not wait to get started!

I was rushing back to the dungeon, glad enough not to meet anyone in the hallways, when I heard some rumbling and angry whispers. The sound of something soft hitting the stone walls, and books dropped on the floor. It was not really my way but I had to see what was going on anyway.

Around a corner, at the light of candle and without a single painting around, there were Crabbe and Goyle preying on a first year. The boy was a Slythering too, which was weird, because why would they go against someone from their own house? I understood quite quickly, went the insults started to fly.

\- _Filthy Mudblood! You think you can walk into our Common Room like you own the place? You're a disgrace to Slytherin! We should pluck your teeth out for using magic! You don't deserve it! We are kind enough to let you into this place and learn our way, and you think you're better than us? You should beg for our mercy! _

The boy was crying and Crabbe shut him off by firmly placing a hand on his mouth and grabbing him by the collar with the other. The kid's name was Jack Harper, a nice youngster who always looked so in awe about everything around here. He was rather popular around the first year but, if he was a muggleborn like me, that would explain how Hogwarts was still the world's 8th wonder in his eyes.

Malfoy was not here, however, so I wondered if they were bullying him on his order, or on their own free will. The way they were avoiding to physically hurt him and leave any mark, this place without any paintings to spy and report to the teachers, the timing, all looked way too smart for these suckers, but then again, maybe they were in Slytherin for another reason than just being Malfoy's goons. Maybe they were actually good at hiding their game.

Anyway, before I could take another step and make myself noticed, a voice rose from the other side of the hallway.

\- _And maybe you should beg for mine. If there is nothing and no one here to tell how you bullied him, there will be nothing and no one to tell how I broke your fucking faces._

These two morons were not used to be the one under threat, as they were the ones usually making them. Therefore, they did not take it seriously, and advanced toward the newcomer.

The dude was a giant, like at least 6.5ft tall easy, but so thin that I was scared of my two "housemates" breaking him in half. He, however, looked confident enough and was not backing down.

\- _Get lost, Vakarian! _said Crabbe_. This is a Slytherin business, none of your concern! _

\- _Considering that I'm Hufflepuff's new prefect, I'd say it is! Now, maybe I should just take some point from Slytherin and give you a detention, but the idea of smashing your heads against the wall is far more appealing._

Now they didn't look so sure, and I would not give them time to figure this out.

\- _Crabbe! Goyle! _I yelled_. Malfoy was looking for you! Get your asses back to the Room! And don't lose us any more points again, please! _

They looked at each other, and headed back to the dungeons without a word, but an unmistakable threat sign to Harper. By the time I joined the victim, Vakarian was already trying to comfort him the best he could, picking up his book for him.

\- _Go back and get some sleep, _he said_, _a slight grin on his face_. And feel free to come to me if they bother you again. _

I patted the kid's head as he came by me, reassuring that all was okay, and he disappeared from our sight.

\- _Thanks for the help_, said the giant_. Those two are a real pain in the ass. _

\- _No problem, man. You just beat me to it._

\- _I'm Garrus. Garrus Vakarian._

\- _John Shepard._

He gave me his right hand, a big smile on his face. His eyes were steel blue, his face looked like it had been shaped with a knife. The edges of his cheekbones protruded in the light of the candle and his forehead looked big enough to be used as a mirror. I felt the bones of his fingers when I shook his hand, but it was firm, warm, and honest. I knew I'd like the dude.

\- _So, you're a prefect, hum? I'm guessing you just forgot your badge then, _I said with a playful wink.

\- _You got me there. Our new prefect is Ernie McMillan. Thank the gods that these morons are not as perceptive as you are. _

\- _What are you doing here then? It's hardly the way to Hufflepuff's Common Room._

\- _Yeah I know, _he said with an embarrassed laugh_. I was doing my History of Magic homework near the training grounds, I like the place. But I feel asleep like a dumbass and I just woke up. I was heading back to my House when I heard some kind if fighting._

\- _Well, not everyone would stand up against Malfoy's crew. You did good here. _

\- _Naaah_, he shrugged with a laugh_. I was scared to death, my knees were shaking. I tried to act like a big tough guy, you know, with my height and all, but I'm not used to get into troubles._

\- _Well, stay away from dark hallways at night, then! _

He snorted and waved his hand goobye while heading his way. I called him back:

\- _Hey man! What are you doing on Monday evening? _


	6. The crew

**A/N** : This is by far the longest chapter so far. Here comes the crew! As Li Shang would say, let's get down to business!

**CHAPTER 5**

Our little classroom was at full capacity, I even had to stay up, as they were neither seats nor tables left for me to sit.

I suggested five more people, but it looked like the word spread too much for my taste, as eight new faces were looking at me. I only recognized Garrus Vakarian, the only one I invited myself. Near him, two other Hufflepuff girls, whom I thought to be in third or fourth year. Close to Miranda, another two girls, from Ravenclaw. I knew I saw those girls before, so I guessed they were in fifth year as well. The one on the left had bright blue hair and a warm smile. She was a bit chubby, but almost as tall as me. The girl on the right looked rather strange: she had her hood on, burying her face deep in its shadow. It was almost impossible to distinguish her traits without coming much closer. Finally, Joker had brought three fellows: one big bloke from sixth year with a suspicious look on his face, a black skinned one from our promotion, and a young kid that could not be older than 13 years old; all three from Gryffindor.

Joker was super excited; he could not stop moving on his chair while waiting for everyone to take a spot.

\- _Shepard, I have so much you tell you guys! _he started_. I manage to talk to …_

I raised my hand to shut him off.

\- _Hold on Joker. Not yet buddy, keep the cherry for after the cake. We have some things to discuss before that. _

He kept his mouth open for a second before nodding with a disappointed look. I smiled at him, my way to let him know that I appreciated his enthusiasm and that I would come back to him soon, then I spoke to the group.

\- _Good evening everyone, and thank you for coming. I'm guessing you already have an idea of what we're about to do here, but I'll make it clearer in a minute. First of all, I would like all the new faces here to introduce themselves, state who invited you, and why you are here._

I waved at Garrus to signal him to go first, as he was the first on my right, and he started with his calm and confident voice:

\- _Hi, I'm Garrus Vakarian, fifth year in Hufflepuff. I met Shepard two days ago, and he didn't tell me much, but he made it sounds like he could give me, give us, some tools to prepare ourselves for the O. . _His voices deepened_. Also, with people like Umbridge among the teachers, and this rumor of a racist dark lord coming back, Malfoy in the hallways… I'm guessing things are gonna get a lot worse for many people… _

He didn't say more, but we understood his fears and the underlying will of not letting this kind of things slide anymore. The redhead girl on his side took over.

\- _I'm Kelly Chambers, and this is Samantha Traynor. We're fourth year, and we've been friends with Garrus since day One here. We're not yet worried about the exams, so, well, basically we came because he was coming, and we were curious to see what we could learn here._

I nodded, as Traynor just waved around to say hi to everyone without adding a word. I already had my doubt about this kind of person in the group, but said nothing. Instead, I looked at the girl with the hood on. She surprised me when she spoke, as her voice was clear, pleasant, without a shred of shyness.

\- _Hello. My name is Tali Zorah. Nice to meet you all! Sorry for the hood, I don't handle the light very well, even with the candles… Anyway, I'm a fifth year Ravenclaw. We, I mean, Liara and I, sometimes did our homework with Miranda at the library, over the years, so we know her like that…_

I raised an eyebrow at Lawson. First time I ever hear about her having friends, except, well, us, since the week before. Tali resumed:

\- _…She told us that she might have a way to make us stronger, but didn't say much more. But as Garrus just said, we had the feeling like bigger things that the O. were coming our way, so, I don't know… It didn't cost much just to come and see what it's all about anyway._

\- _Exactly, _confirmed the blue haired girl_. Hi, I'm Liara Tsoni, and Tali is my best friend. Ravenclaw with her, of course. We were talking about practicing spells on our own just before Miranda shared your idea, and we wanted to know more. _

So, Lawson was smart enough to keep most of our plan secret, to be sure there was nothing to rat out to Umbridge. However, coming in blindly, there was a good chance they would walk away… But well, no risk, no glory, isn't it? Joker, however, took the exact approach while bringing his fellow housemates. Too eager to move forward, he jumped in and introduced them himself:

\- _The big guy here is James Vega! He's a cool dude from sixth year and he wanted to know what was going on. I guessed he might be interested so I brought him along. This quiet bloke there is Jacob Taylor. He's in fifth year with us, but he missed the Potter's meeting. He wanting to join them anyway, whatever they are doing, but I asked him to come here before, so he could have a choice. _

Jacob, face closed, barely left the tip of his finger to his eyebrow to salute us, thinking there was nothing more to add, probably.

\- _The kid is Mordin Solus. He just started his third year, but he's a genius. Like, Granger level, easy, if not better. We got no clue why he's not in Ravenclaw by the way. He's not really into the physical stuff you talked about, he can barely lift is own quill! However, he wanted to help us here with the potions and stuff, and maybe help me to, you know… help you._

I sighed. Bloody hell, Joker could not keep his mouth shut. I had nothing against having someone like this Mordin in the group, he could actually be very helpful. To survive a war, the frontline needs some support, and maybe he could fill this role. The kid stepped forward and came to shake my hands.

\- _Hi ! I'm Mordin ! Mordin Solus ! It's very nice to meet you, Shepard! Or maybe you prefer John? Or should it be "Sir"? I know you're only two years older but…_

Damit, the kid had the pace of a fucking machine gun. He would not stop speaking! Ashley and Miranda even started to chuckle while Kaidan facepalmed, and Garrus interrupted him.

\- _Calm down boy, _he said._ Take some time to breathe, you're going to suffocate. Let Shepard speak for a second._

He apologized, not once, but four times! I raised my voice a bit, just to be sure everyone would hear me loud and clear, and explained my business.

\- _Okay so listen everyone. The thing is, we started this little club because we were quite unhappy with how the DADA classes are going, may it be for the O. preparation, or… well something more. Before I go a bit more into the details, please understand that I don't know most of you, expect for Joker and the three Slytherins there, and you don't know me. Therefore, I don't really trust you yet, and I don't want to take any chances, as you shouldn't either. So here is what's gonna happen. I'll tell you a bit more about what we're planning to do. Then you'll be on your way, and take some time to think about it. If you're in, you will be welcome to join us on Thursday. If not, farewell then, and in that case, the less you know the better for everyone. _

Everyone nodded, silently accepting this idea. If kept on:

\- _There is nothing here to be reported to Umbridge. This meeting is part of the Healing Club that was declared properly, according to her Decree n°24. However, even if it's too early to tell, that might evolve on something that she might not totally agree with. In that case, whenever you decided to join us or not, please now this._

I looked at Miranda, she agreed with a sign of the chin.

\- _Anyone who even thinks about rating us out to the High Inquisitor, or anyone else, will be making the biggest mistake of his or her life. We will use any means possible to make your life a living hell. You all probably know who's Miranda's father, right? She will not hesitate to use him to attack your parent's career. Your career after Hogwarts. All the way to Gringotts and the bank accounts if need be. And I will personally make your life inside Hogwarts miserable; and if I'm not here to do it anymore, I will still find a way to hurt you and break everything that makes you you._

Silence fell on the room.

\- _I know that threats are not the best way to start a trusting relationship, and I apologize for this. But I'm sure you can understand that I will use everything I can to protect the members of this circle. To protect you, even if you decide not to join us. Does everyone understand?_

It took a few second for the first answer to be heard, coming from Vega. His voice was deep, like he had already finished his puberty.

\- _Damn man, that was intense. You're scary as fuck_. He smiled_. Don't worry though. We hate that bitch, and there's no way a Gryffindor would tell on his housemate. I'd even say that it's usually you Slytherins that are known to be sneaky bastards, _he added with a laugh.

\- _Same for us, _said the young Samantha Traynor. _We would never do anything to hurt Garrus. You have our word._

The giant didn't even have to say a word, I knew where his heart was since I saw him defending a Slytherin kid. I assumed a guy like this knew how to choose his friends. I turned to the two Ravenclaws. They were the only here without a proper reference, I would hardly count a few homework session with Miranda as a trust base.

\- _By the Goddess_, said Liara_, I had no idea this would be that serious. I don't even know if I'm interested in this plan of yours, but I swear on the Grey Lady's name, I will never not betray your trust. May she take my tongue if I do._

\- _Nor will I, _added Tali under her hood._ It's rare enough to see people offer their trust, _she said with a look to Miranda_. No threats needed with me anyway, you have my word._

Satisfied, I sat on the edge of desk, close to Ashley.

\- _Ok, perfect then. So, here's my plan…_

OooOooOooO

\- _So, if I get this right_, summarized Liara_, the idea is to start with practicing our healing skills, in case we would need it. Then we would do some physical training that might help us with our magic._

\- _Exactly, but not only. I plan to teach you technics and strategy too._

\- _What kind of technics? _asked Vega.

I was not ready to talk about my muggles origins with people I met twenty minutes before, so I had to keep it vague:

\- _I can't really say more, sorry. As I said, the less you know… But let's say we would not use our wands very much. _

\- _Yeah, I'm guessing Umbridge would not have anything against a wandless class, _chuckled Garrus.

\- _I think I see where this is going. Well, sorry kids, but I'll pass on this one. I already got my O. , and I'm not even sure I'll take the DADA class for my N.E. next year. This ain't worth the risk for me, so I'll leave you to it._

Vega went to the door, reassuring us once more that he would not speak about it to anyone, thanked us for the invitation with a quick nod to Joker, and got out. I looked at the others, but none of them seemed to be willing to follow him just yet.

\- _Ok, does anyone else have any questions? _I asked.

\- _Yes, sorry, _answered Mordin_. Can I join you guys without, you know, the training? As Jeff said, I was here to maybe help you with the potions and stuff, I'm not really interested in becoming an athlete._

\- _Sure thing, kid. Joker himself will not be participating to our trainings, but he will have his own tasks and objectives. You're welcome to stick with him, and maybe we'll need you for something else afterwards, who knows._

He agreed with a wide smile on his face. He sat back, then Kelly Chambers asked:

\- _How hard is it really gonna be? I admit I'm a bit scared thinking we might need healing potions._

\- _I'm not gonna lie, I plan to make it the hardest possible. If it's not that hard, then we will push further, and further. You will be exhausted, you will hurt. As the muggles say, "no pain no gain". _

A couple of eyebrows got raised, and I hated myself for slipping like that. Stupid mistake, mentioning the muggles… I tried to move on fast, like it was nothing.

\- _In a nutshell, the goal here would be to push your limits, to the point where your "medium level" would be higher than everyone else's maximum. You see what I mean? _

I'm guessing they did, as a few nodded and the other ones stood silent. I asked again for any more question, but this time they were none, and the newcomers soon left us with the promise to think about it, and to keep it quiet. I was a bit worried that we actually might have made a mistake, but they were smiles on their faces, and my concerns were eased. It was time to move one to the second part of the evening.

OooOooOooO

**Brackium Emendo****: healing spell that can be used to mend broken bones**

**Episkey****: Heals relatively minor injuries (broken noses and split lips).**

**Ferula****: bandage and splint broken bones. Eases the pain **

**Reparifors: Reverts minor magically-induced ailments like paralysis and poisoning**

**Terge : Cleaning spell (blood, etc.)**

**Vulnera Sanentur ? : song-incantion. Too hard?**

The left side of the chalkboard on which Miranda was writing was now running short on space.

\- _That "Brackium" thing_, asked Joker_, isn't that the spell used by this douchebag Lockhart to heal Harry after the Quidditch game on our second year? I thought it just made his bones disappear._

\- _Yeah_, I snorted_, but I guess it's just because the guys sucked hard. But just in case, maybe Ferula would be safer. From the looks of it, this spell and Episkey sounds like our main things. I'm not planning on poisoning any of you, but cuts and bruises might happen once in a while. Ok, let's move on to the potions. What did you guys find?_

We spent the next twenty minutes reporting and discussing our discoveries, until the right side of the board got filled as well.

**Wiggenweld Potion****: healing potion to cure injuries**

**Murtlap Essance****: Heal buts and abrasion. Ease the pain**

**SkeleGro****: restore bones ? (Painful) **

**Wound Cleaning Potion:**** Antiseptic**

**WideEye Potion**** : Revive (Concussion)**

\- _Ok! That looks good! I guess our focus should be on Wiggenweld and WideEye. Maybe a bit of Murtlap too? What do you think, Miranda?_

She looked into the book before agreeing.

\- _The ingredients are rather simple! I'll make a request to Snape to make sure we have enough of them for a batch or two. At least for the first too, I'll see what I can to for the Murtlap._

\- _Perfect! Then I think we're good for tonight._

\- _Hum Hum…_

The sound of Joker clearing his throat was unmistakable.

\- _Damn, sorry man. Forgot about you. You said you have some information for us._

Wearing his brightest smile, he stood up from his desk and limped to me at board. I cleared the place and went to sit on a now empty chair, leaving all the space he needed to address his audience.

\- _I managed to talk with Ginny Weasley yesterday morning. It looks like Hary have already started! They called his crew the Dumbledore's Army_.

I shook my head in disbelief, and saw Kaidan facepalmed. Worse name ever, and best way to draw the attention… Rookie move. We had no idea, back then, about how important that name would become other the years… Joker kept going.

\- _They found a secret spot. She did not say more, I'm guessing this would not stay secret very long otherwise._

\- _We need to figure this out. This could be huge._

\- _I know. I'm already on it. Hopefully I'll learn some more before next meeting._

\- _Great. You did good Joker! _

\- _Wait! I'm not over yet, _he yelled theatrically with a smile_. There's more!_

I signaled him to go on.

\- _So I was wondering what kind of precaution they took to make sure their little thing would remain secret. Ginny had no idea, but she told me they all had to sign a parchment last time, so she's guessing that Granger probably put a jinx on it or something._

\- _That would be the smart move, _agreed Williams_. That would be complex, but not impossible. Should we do the same?_

\- _I have another idea, but that will come a bit late. For now, we're doing nothing wrong, and I want people to be sure of themselves before making this kind of commitment. We'll see later, but that's very good to know. Good job, once again._

The pride in Joker's smile was worth a lot. Erased were all his doubts about spying on Potter. I closed the meeting few minutes later.

\- _Ok then, back here on Thursday to start preparing these potions. We're almost in business, fellows!_

**A/N2** : Every potions and spells here are taken from the website. Therefore, they're either from the books, movies, or video games. I haven't made any of those up (yet ;) )


	7. The plan

**A/N** : I started naming the chapters (and renamed the previous ones), because it's more fun that way =)

**CHAPTER 6 : The plan**

I have to admit, Thursday night came quicker than expected. I spent every minute of free time I had, which wasn't much, doing research to prepare my first lessons. But I thought I was ready. I was, actually, I found everything I was looking for, and even more. God, that felt so good back then. You know, this feeling you get when you know you're about to win, when everything went according to the plan and you're soon to harvest the fruits of your labor.

Basically, there was only one obstacle laying before me: not losing them all. I knew the next lesson would be the real trial, where they would actually be hurt for the first time. How many would then actually show up for the next training? Half of them? None? Would Kaidan and Ashley still talk to me? What would Miranda think?

I do have to admit that I was growing rather fond of Miranda. I mean, she sure was hot as hell, despite being called the Ice Queen, sorry for the pun, and that's not something a 15 years old boy can easily discard. But more than that, she was focused, determined, and she actually seemed to care a lot about her new friends (meaning, us). She took matters into her own hands regarding Snape and the "Club", and hasn't asked anything in return, just yet at least. She was now spending every lunches and dinners with us at the Slytherin table, to the surprise of most people, and greatest mix of disappointment and disgust of Malfoy. We heard whisperings of people wondering what we did to drag her into our group, why was she with us, maybe we were weird or something. None of it mattered, of course.

I also started to spend a bit more time with Garrus, between classes and at the library while doing my researches. He wasn't very talkative for sure, but that was fine, and it was actually either very pleasant or very funny to talk with him. Anyway, those three days went very, very fast, and it was finally Thursday evening…

OooOooOooO

The room was not as crowded as the previous time. James Vega did not show up again, as expected, but neither did Garrus's two friends, Samantha and Kelly.

\- _Yeah_, he said_, they were not… how to put it… very motivated. And scared, I guess. Anyway, I told them that it was OK and maybe it was for the best. _

\- _Alright then. You trust them I guess. _

\- _More than I trust any of you, for now, _he snorted_._

I laughed with him, then gathered the people around me. Liara, Tali and Jacob were back as well. So was Mordin, trying to push his way through Kaidan and Garrus to see something. Joker was sitting in the back, waiting for things to start.

\- _Alright_, I yelled_, thank you guys for coming back! I guess you thought this through, but I will give you another chance: tonight I will talk more about what I am actually planning for you guys, and then I'll make a quick demonstration, if we can say it like that. If you still want in after that, then we will take things to a higher level. But first of all, let's start with what we're officially here for!_

Miranda managed to get everything we needed for the Wiggenweld potion. It was rather easy to brew, but it needed to rest quite a while after heating, so we figured that the best was to make it, then let it rest while we would train or talk.

As we were ten people, we divided into three groups of three (Miranda, Kaidan and Ashley), three (Garrus, Jabob and I), and four (Liara, Tali, Mordin and Joker), around the three caldrons that Snape was "kind" enough to let us borrow.

I said the potion was easy, but that did not prevent Garrus, Jacob and I to screw it up the hard way. While the others were getting this expected emerald green color according to the book, ours was pitch black. Smooth like silk, but it looked like the darkness itself. They laughed at us quite a while, and so did we, and this wasn't undeserved. We had a good load of it with their two batches anyway.

As the groups were finalizing their mixtures, Joker left his and asked me if we could talk. We moved to the other side of the room, and lowered our voices.

\- _You alright, Joker? _I asked_._

\- _Yeah man, of course! Listen. The Dumbledore's Army met, last evening. I tried to follow then around, to see where they were training. That's not easy though, they move quite quickly._

\- _I figure. So did you find where they practice? If the whole lot of blokes we saw at Hogsmead were there, that's a big bunch to fit a room._

\- _My thought exactly. But this is where the plot thickens. I followed the Creevey brothers up to the Seventh floor, left corridor. They were late, so they were speeding up, but on the bright side, nobody else was around, and they were too focused on catching up to pay attention to me. _

\- _So you got it?_

\- _Well, no… They just disappeared. Pouf. Bloody vanished. So I'm pretty sure they're on the 7__th__ floor, cause I lost them just at a corner of a corridor, but they were gone._

\- _You checked for hidden doors? Behind paintings and stuff._

\- _Yeah of course! But there was nothing! I have no fucking clue where they went. _

\- _Euhm, excuse me? _said a voice behind us_. I think I know what you're talking about._

As I turned back, Liara was so close to me I almost crushed my nose onto her skull. She apologized with embarrassment, then explained herself.

\- _I'm sorry, I was just coming to get Joker for the last step of the brewing, and I heard you talking. I didn't mean to eardrop, I swear, but…_

\- _No worries Liara. I'd be happy to forgive you once you tell us what you know._

Her smile widened. I saw her gaze brighten up, you know, like the "sparks in the eyes" kind of thing you read in the books. I guess that what true passion for something looks like.

\- _I'm an amateur historian and archeologist. I mean, I love digging into the past, the stories, everything. Anyway, my point is: there is a legend at Hogwarts, one among many, really, about a secret room, called the Room of Requirement. This is a secret place that would only appear when a person is in great need of it. There were enough testimonies and stories to be sure that something like that actually exists, and according to most of them, it would indeed be located on the 7__th__ floor. However, there's no actual record of it anywhere, and it's not on any map._

\- _Yeah, that sounds like a perfect spot for some secret meetings_, I thought

\- _And that would explain why they just disappeared! _added the Gryffindor.

\- _Ok, nicely done guys. That's your assignments for next time. Find out how we can get into this room on our own! But keep it to yourself for now, don't tell anyone but me. You got me?_

\- _Roger that, captain! _he answered with a smile and a fake salute_._

We joined the rest of the group as their potions were bursting their last bubbles. Time to let it rest, and move on to the main event of the evening…

OooOooOooO

\- _What is the core of magic? How do we control it, what makes some simple words or just a wave of hand, have an effect on the world around us?_

That's basically the first thing we learned with Flitwick on our first Charms class. So, of course, that was up to a Ravenclaw to answer first:

\- _Intent. Force of will, if you like_, said Liara.

\- _Exactly. Now, we never truly got further than that, but I did a bit of research. According to a theory I found, the reason Harry Potter lived is that his mother's will outmatched You-Know-Who's by a great deal, creating a shield strong enough to repel a killing curse. _

\- You mean that she wanted him alive more than he wanted him dead? asked Tali for confirmation.

\- _That's what I understood, yes. But now, how comes we never actually worked on that? We learnt new spells, incantation, and stuff, but never practiced our force of will. If being focused and strong-willed enough can protect you from the darkest curses, why did we never actually work on that?_

No one answered that. My guess was, nobody, especially the Ministry, or even Dumbledore, actually wanted students to become strong. Soldiers, warriors, fighters. This kind of practice would increase the feeling of competition between people, and the wizarding society might find itself far less peaceful with people constantly trying to outmatch each other's will. However, it was exactly what we needed.

\- _Now, my guess is that, in a tough situation like a duel or a battle, or even an exam, if some spells like the Shield Charm end up not strong enough, it's mostly because of fear and stress. Fear of failing or what would happen to you if your shield breaks down, it troubles the intent. Not all your focus is on the strength of your spells! I suspect this is also why the Patronus Charm is so hard to produce; focusing on happy thoughts during a dreadful situation ain't the easiest thing to pull off._

A few heads nodded in agreements, while the others were waiting for what was coming next.

\- _So this is going to be one of our first things to work on: I will help you to discipline your mind, focus your intention, and most of your spells increase gain in power. Then I will beat the shit out of you all_, I added with a smile_, so you won't ever be scared of taking a spell in the face. Well, except for the Unforgivable Ones of course. Anyway, we will also work on your physical and magical stamina. I found the prefect exercise for that, but I will show you next time. _

The group stayed quiet. I thought they would have some questions, but all of them looked divided between anticipation and fear. So I went on to the last two phases of my plan:

\- _And then we will train for combat, both hand-to-hand and magical. There is a very famous Muggle fighter who once said "I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times." So we will practice only two spells: the Shield Charm, and the Stunning Spell. _

\- _Okay, this I understand_, interrupted Jacob for the first time._ But you mentioned "hand-to-hand"? What for? What's the point?_

That was actually a good question, the one I was most worried of. All I had was an idea, a theory, and even if it looked perfect in my mind, I had no idea if it would actually work. So I took a deep breath, and spilled it out.

\- _Look, from what I saw of the duels and various classes, wizards are used to medium to long range fight. But I don't think any of them, you included, are trained for a close combat. In most of Muggle wars, the artilleries, archers for example, were slaughtered the very minute the opponent's infantry fell upon them. A bow can't do much against a sword or a spear._

\- _Like the Carolean Musketeers? _asked Liara_._

\- _A bit, yes_, I answered, impressed with her knowledge_. That's the idea. I want to teach you how to get close to your enemy, and destroy them. I will teach you how to break their arms so they can't raise their wands against you. I will teach you how to break their mouth so they can't cast a spell against you. I will teach you to break their legs, and their spirit so they can't stand in your way! _

I practiced that speech a bit, and raised with voice at each word, and it did its work. Jacob was now nodding with a smile, I saw the tensions in Garrus's arm muscles, and heard the whispers of the now impressed Tali. I knew I had them all, the call of strength and power was too hard to resist. All, but Miranda, who was still doubting:

\- _I see your point, John, but I have two questions: how do we get close to someone with a wand that can stun you, or paralyze you, or even kill you before you take a step. And then, even if we manage to actually close the gap, do you think girls like us, usually far less stronger than men, can do any of this breaking things you mentioned?_

\- _I've been working on the first question for the past two years, and I think I got the answer, although it will have to wait a bit. Let's just say that being strong isn't incompatible with being smart. For the second question, of course you can. First of all, strength can be worked on, and you will. Then, the right technic goes a long way, and you don't need much to break an arm, if you actually know what you're doing. Finally… Lack of both strength and technic can be compensated for. That's what weapons are for. Blades, hammers, swords, that kind of thing. I don't know yet if we will be able to go down this last path, but I would very much like to…_

\- _Wait… you want us to…_

She did not finish her sentence, as I agreed with a good old-fashioned wink. The perplex look on her face turned into a smile.

\- _Alright then. I'm in. You better live up to you promise and lead us to the stars, Captain._

\- _You're one weird son of a gnome, _added Kaidan with a grin_, but you know I'll follow down to hell. Let's see what you got, Shepard!_

\- _Yeah, that sounds way weirder, but way better than what Potter and friends are doing, _stated Jacob_. You know what? I'm all in as well._

\- _Hold your horses guys_, I laughed._ I'm pleased to see you all in for it, but there's one last thing we need to do, and you might wanna change your mind afterward… Now you all take of your robes…_

OooOooOooO

\- _What do you mean, _asked Tali,_ "take off your robes"? _

\- _Exactly that, _I answered while pushing the tables to the side with a wave of my wand to clear a circle at the center of _the room. Those bloody clothes are not practical at all for training, and even though it's not gonna take long, I need all of you take it off._

Now, it was not unusual for wizards and witches to wear a shirt and trousers underneath the robe, especially in winter, but the common thing was to wear nothing but underwear.

\- _But... But… _stammered Liara, while Tali was crossing her arms across her chest_. I got nothing but bra and knickers underneath._

I came to her, put both my hands on her shoulder and looked her right in the eyes, with the most comforting voice I could:

\- _Listen. None of us here is came to peep at you. You're safe and amongst friends here. Moreover, if anyone makes a comment, good or bad, about that, I'll kick his ass back to London myself. _

I raised my voice so everyone could hear me loud and clear.

\- _Guys, I'm not being a pervert here. There's a purpose for that. First of all, as I said, being practical. Then, it's just a small test to see if you're willing to leave you comfort zone! If you can't even do that, this whole project is dead before even beginning. And finally, it is very, very important that we start building a real trust between us and be comfortable around each other. I figured this would be the quickest and most efficient way to start. So now, if you're not comfortable with it, just think of it as going to take a swim in bathing suits all together, raise your head and get those bloody robes off! _

To prove that I wasn't kidding, I took mine off. As I mentioned, I wasn't doing this to be a pervert at all. But I would be lying if I said "15-years-old me" wasn't proud of showing off his body, especially in front of such pretty girls. I knew that I was really fit for my age, thanks to my continuous training, and I probably hoped that it would earn me some admiration point, especially in the eyes of Miranda. So in all my vanity, I wasn't wearing anything more than a tight black boxer short.

I looked at Joker and Mordin before they started to undress and specified:

\- _Guys, this doesn't concern you two. Could you please step outside and be on the watch. Better to have someone on lookout for teachers, and less suspicious if it's just two students talking to each other. If someone comes our way, let us know, and win some time if you can._

They agreed, and stepped out without a word. I turned back to the others to see if they actually followed my first order.

Jacob and Garrus were already undressed, their robes carefully folded on a table, their wands resting atop of it. Miranda was wearing black underwear, top and bottom matching, but as I was foolishly expecting her to wear some luxury lingerie due to her "Queen" status, it looked nothing but comfortable and practical. She was looking at me head held high, without hiding herself, but defiance in her look. Both Kaidan and Ashley were actually wearing a long shirt, but as they felt it would not be fair to the others, they took them off as well.

It is at this moment that I realized it was the first time I actually saw Tali's face. Without her hood to hide under, we could finally see her as she truly was, and damn she was pretty. Her small chin, her dark hair and thin lips, all of it made her as gorgeous as Miranda was, which was something. But the most impressive thing of all was her eyes. They were almost white, or silver. It was a shade of blue so pale it looked almost unnatural, but that might explain why she avoided light so much. Unlike Liara, she was not trying to hide her chest behind her crossed arms, but to protect those eyes from the candlelit.

\- _Can we do this quick, please? _she asked._ The light is killing me._

I looked at them all, one by one, detailing their bodies. Damn, there was work to be done… They all seemed so fragile, with nothing but skins and bones, and sometimes a tiny bit of fat. Nothing major, but none of them looked like they have done any sort of sport, ever. Maybe except Jacob, with bigger shoulders and a bit of abs showing up. I would keep him for last.

\- _Alright guys. So it's gonna be simple. One by one, you're will join me here, and I will hit you. Hard. Don't avoid it, don't dodge, just take it. Face it. Then you will take your revenge, and hit me with everything you got. You will face the pain, and then return it. Your training starts now. Tali, you're first._


	8. First blood

**CHAPTER 7 : First blood**

This was no random decision I took, to go first and let them reply. If they hit me and I don't budge, then destroy their asses in a single blow, they would feel looked upon, humiliated, and their confidence would take a hard blow. But by going first, I was giving them something to look up to, and a revenge to get, to feed their anger and their strength.

Tali was in the circle, wearing nothing but her blue underwear, but the left her shyness behind and put her bravery on. She put herself in position, raising her fists to a high guard, like a boxer, without me asking for anything. That was a very good start.

\- _You ready?_ I asked

She nodded, focused on watching my hands. I moved my left foot by half a step, then let go a good low-kick from the right onto her left thigh. The hit was good, straight on her muscle, but strong enough to almost sweep her off the floor.

She screamed. She fell. She cursed. She bit her lips and fought against the tears. I lend her a hand to help her back up, and she took it. She breathed deep and tried to take a step forward, but almost fell back, her left leg not responding properly. The others were looking at us, either worried or horrified. This was it, I thought. I lost them all.

But Tali proved me wrong. She smiled and asked:

\- _Damn that hurts like hell! You got the strength of a dragon or what? You will teach me that?_

\- _Yes. _I smiled back_. I will. This, and more. Come on up, your turn! But don't try the same hit. Your left leg will not support you and you will just fall. Find something else._

So she punched me in the guts. Or at least, she tried. I moved few inches forwards to make sure I would not take her blow at full force, and contracted my abs. I felt it, but it was far from being enough. The technic was not half bad though, and there was potential.

\- _Alright! Not bad! Thank you Tali, dress yourself back up. And try to heal yourself with a spell! Best practice is in a real situation. Liara! You're next._

OooOooOooO

She was scared, like, real scared. She tried to be brave, but her knees and hands were shaking. She was also still a bit embarrassed by being half naked in front of us, probably, so I walk up to her and took her hand.

\- _Liara, don't be scared. Fear is your worst enemy here. Not me, not the pain, but fear. Now this the moment where you decide if you want to grow stronger or not. Just by facing it head on, you will accomplish more than you ever did in any DADA class. You do not have to sit here and accept the pain. You have to refuse it, with all you got. You're going to get hit, you can't avoid that, but being hurt? That's your choice. Now, do you want to be a victim, or to resist and fight back?_

Something changed in her look, maybe I struck a nerve with the word "victim", but I felt the change for real. She breathed, focused, and imitated Tali's defense position. I smiled at here, and went back to my place.

\- _You ready ? _

\- _Hit it, _she answered_, _her voice trembling with... rage?

Once again, I moved slightly to the left, and hit her with a kick on the right. However, this time I went with a high kick, aiming for her shoulder instead of her head. No point knocking her out. The blow was swift, and she actually tried to parry it, but she went flying across the circle and landed in the tables. I heard Tali gasp and Miranda raised her hand to her mouth, but, hell, this was not time to get soft. Liara got back up with a grunt, massaging her shoulder.

\- _Was it that bad? _I asked.

\- _Not as bad as I feared. And surely not as bad as what's going to hit you!_

\- _Alright, tiger, _I laughed_. Put me back where I belong! _

She actually tried something nice, a Mae Geri (front kick) to the stomach, but she leaned too much on me, and I felt more her weight than the blow. I had to take one step back not too fall, though. I congratulate her, and let her put her robe back on while I called for Garrus to take his turn.

OooOooOooO

\- _I don't fear your kicks, Shepard, _he said with a grin_. Go as hard as you can !_

He was standing up in front of me, feet on same line, arms down and spread mid-height. That was an invitation. He was indeed not scared. I took a different position: a step back left foot in front, flexed on my knees, shoulders on the side, my left palm raised in front of him and right fist to my hip. I slowed my breath down and focused. After a few seconds, I launched forward: advanced my right foot forward, using the movement and a slight twist of my hip to deliver my most powerful punch to his abs. I could have aimed for his stomach, but he might have puked all other me. So he took it in his front muscles, but that was by no mean enough. He bent over, breathless, and fell on his knees, gasping for air, arms on his belly. I gave him a few seconds to catch his breath, and helped him back up.

\- _How? _he managed to whisper.

\- _You kidding? Punching an immobile target with time to prepare is easier that taking a feeding bottle to a baby. Your opens arms were practically an invitation to cut you in half. _

\- _Alright, _he grunted._ My turn._

As a token of good will, or a provocation, I took the same stance he did, full front and opened arms. Playing the game, he tried to hit me the same way I did. It lacked technic, and strength, but it hurt anyway. I took two steps back rubbing my guts to ease the pain.

I then hit both Kaidan and Ashley with a front kick, and while Williams tried to repay me the favor (it started to really hurt after four hits in the abs), Alenko tried his luck at a low kick in the thigh. When I saw the hit coming, I move my weight onto my left leg, and flex it hard. I pictured my leg being as hard as steel, focused on it, and waited for the impact.

To my personal vanity, I didn't move an inch. The blow made a huge noise, but it was him who ended up with a grimace on his face.

\- _What the hell, man? _he complained_. Are you made of steel, or what? _

\- _Intent, remember? Do you think all magic is gone once you put your wand down? Don't worry, I will teach you this as well._

He mumbled something will putting his shirt and robe back on, and it was Miranda's turn…

OooOooOooO

I didn't want to hit her. She was standing in front of me, proud and tall a mountain, already in position without a word, her blue eyes were cold as ice. In this outfit, the utter perfection of her body was obvious to everyone, and it was almost impossible not to focus this flawless skin. I wanted to hug her, feel her skin against mine, but by the Gods, I made a promise to myself not to be a creep and I intended to keep it!

I took a position closer to her than I was to the others before. Our hands were almost touching, and I had to dive deep into her eyes to avoid being distracted by her chest. She raised an eyebrow, wondering why I was so close. I smiled, and swept her front foot with my left leg, and while she was losing her balance, pushed her hard with the palms of my hands. One just above her chest, the other one just underneath. She flew like a feather in the wind, and crashed into the tables one meter behind.

\- _You don't always have to punch and kick, _I explained_. With the right technic and the right timing, even a simple push can be as efficient as anything else._

I helped her up. I did not really hurt her, but she hit her heard against a table in the fall and she was massaging it vigorously to help the pain away. I waited until she was good to go and went back to my place in the circle.

I was barely ready when I saw her fist fly straight to my face. The cunning girl was aiming for my nose, and even though I said "no dodging", I had just enough time to shift my chest to the right by half an inch, so she would brush against my cheekbone instead. Despite behind hit by only one knuckle instead of the full fist, it hurt liked hell, and I got thrown back by two steps. At least I saved my nose.

She advanced half a step forward with her hand reaching out for me, mouth open, trying to get an unnecessary apology out. I smiled at her and shook my head to regain my senses.

\- _That was nasty, Miranda! _I said with a grimace_._

\- _I'm so sor…_

\- _Don't apologize, _I dismissed_. Did I say that you could not aim for the head?_

\- _Well, no you didn't, but…_

I turned to the rest of the group.

\- _Why didn't any of you tried to punch me in the face? Hum? _As no one answered, I explained my conjectured reason_. Because I didn't hit any of you in the face myself. You probably thought this would be an unspoken rule and tried to replicate what I did myself instead. Miranda did the clever thing here: she did not try to hurt me. She tried to end me, and the threat I represented. So let this be your first teaching: unless I say otherwise, don't let anything hold you back. Don't try to be nice. Be efficient. Alright? Jacob, you're last._

OooOooOooO

Something felt different. Not wrong, but not a sensation I expected to feel here just yet. When Jacob took his position, it seemed like this was not a demonstration anymore, but more like the last second before a fight on a ring, with the adrenaline rushing through my veins and the anticipation of the confrontation to come.

His position was not perfect, his high guard a bit too far from his face, but by the way his rose his shoulders, and hid his chin in his chest, I knew he was already a bit of a fighter; this was not unknown territory to him.

I faked a right jab to his face, and he took the bait raising his hands. Flexing my front leg to get down a bit lower, I shifted slightly to the left and let go a mean left hook straight to his liver. As this is an unprotected and hyper-sensitive area, a good blow could knock someone out of a fight for a while, but his reflexes were fast enough to somewhat pivot just a bit and take my fist with the side of his abs instead.

He clenched his teeth, but did not move back nor did he let a single sound out. Instead, he counterstriked with a right hook straight to my face. I barely managed to bring my guard back, and the impact resonated through my skull. I felt the iron taste of blood in my mouth as pain irradiated my lips. That was not the way I planned it, but as the adrenaline took over, I attacked again with to uppercut to the stomach. Jacob bent forward in pain, and I ended it with a softer side kick to the chest to push him back. Sit on the floor, he took a second to breathe, then held out his hand for me to help him up.

\- _Well, you hid your game well, _I said while spitting some blood on the floor_. You're obviously no beginner. Where did you learn all that? _

\- _My grandfather was a Muggle, but a boxing champion, _he answered with a surprisingly sad smile_. I learnt a thing or two growing up._

\- _More than just a few basics, I'd even say. You're undoubtedly a few levels higher than the others, so what do you think about my idea? _

\- _Well, you're clearly a lot stronger than me, _he answered with hesitation_. So I think I have a lot to learn from you, and I do have to admit, I like the idea of walking into my grandfather's footsteps…_

\- _Alright then_, I concluded_, _shaking his hand_. I'll try not to disappoint you. _

As I went to put my robe back on, Miranda came close to me and stuck her wand in my face.

\- **Episkey!**

A sharp sting went through my lips as the split closed itself, and all pain and discomfort were gone in half a second.

\- _Thanks for the practice_, she said with a bright smile before turning her back on me_. _

I wiped the few remaining drops of blood of my face with my sleeves. Gods, this girl was going to be too much for me…

OooOooOooO

\- _So, how do you all feel? _I asked the group while inviting Joker and Mording back in.

\- _It hurts, _said Tali while rubbing her thigh.

\- _Yeah, _added Liara_, but in the meantime, I feel… good. Lighter. Like if the air was cooler, easier to breathe. You know what I mean? _

Both Kaidan and Ashley agreed, confirming feeling the same thing.

\- _It's because you did good, and you can be proud of you. You all faced something scary, tonight. Something stronger was coming your way, you knew pain was inevitable, but none of you backed down, you all faced it, endured it, and gave it back. You all showed bravery worthy of a Gryffindor. I'm very proud of you. _

Everyone was smiling, truly, and it warmed my heart. Maybe my idea was good, in the end. Maybe I could actually do something and help these young people become a best version of themselves, or at least, a stronger one…

\- _Perfect. Now, everyone take a vial of potion. Wait for tomorrow to drink it, but in case you end up with nasty bruises, especially Tali, it should help tremendously._

\- _If it doesn't kill us all_, laughed Garrus.

\- _My potion is perfect! _took offense Mordin, not grasping the humor behind it.

Garrus tousled his hair as a tease, triggering more laughter.

\- _Here the plan for the next step: for the next weeks, we're gonna meet here on Mondays and Thursdays, to practice our healing magic. Nothing more. I want us to use this time to get to know each other. And I want you to use this time to think hard. Is it what you want, and are you ready to make this commitment? _

A couple of eyebrows were raised.

\- _On the 2nd of November, _I explained_, there will be the first Quidditch match between Slytherin and Gryffindor. As the whole school will probably be there, I'm planning to use this opportunity to find a better spot for us to train and give you guys your first real lesson. However, as this will be the beginning of the "unapproved" part of our little class, I will make you all swear to secrecy. _

\- _The jinxed list? _asked Ashley.

\- _Maybe. I have two weeks to figure this out. Anyway, do not take this slightly, so please, use these two weeks to think this through. Do you really want to take this path, with these people besides you. Okay? _

\- _Okay! _they all said as one voice.

Everyone stayed a bit afterward, talking together, discussing their bruises or reporting what happened to Joker and the kid. As people started to leave to respect the curfew, I signaled my fellow Slytherins to go without me and, as Tali stepped out, asked Liara to stay for a bit.

\- _Yes? _she inquired_. Is there a problem, Shepard?_

\- _What happened? _I asked.

\- _What do you mean? _

\- _I saw your face when I said the word "victim". So what happened?_

Her smiled disappeared, slowly but surely. When it reappeared, after a whole minute of silence, it was heavily tainted with pain and sadness.

\- _It's a story for another time, Shepard._

She headed out, but stopped with her hand on the knob.

\- _You know_, she said_, for someone our age, you sometimes sound older than my own parents._

\- _Let's say I might have skip a whole part of childhood, _I whispered_._

\- _Goodnight, Shepard._

\- _'Night, Liara._

Well, I guessed that explained it. She was here to become strong, because she hadn't be powerful enough when it needed it the most.


	9. Mead, Friends and Foes

**CHAPTER 8 : Mead, Friends and Foes**

Kaidan, Ashley and Miranda were all three waiting for me outside. When I stepped out and closed the door behind me, they jumped on me like hungry tigers on a prey.

\- _What the hell did you do to her_? asked Williams with threat in her voice.

\- _What do you mean? I was barely two minutes behind you! _

\- _Liara! She was crying when she got out!_

\- _Wait, really? I don't… I just asked her something, about why she was here. She would not answer me, she said that was a story for another time. I'm guessing I triggered some bad memory…_

If she had been assaulted or abused like I suspected to, I would not just sell her secret out like that, even to my friends. That was her story to tell.

\- _You swear on Snape's head that you didn't do anything weird to her, you creep? _asked Kaidan while we were walking back to our dorm.

I was about to answer when a form emerged from the shadows.

\- _Do not use my name for you silly games, _declared Severus Snape with his usual deep_, _slow and terrifying voice_. What are you four doing here so late? _

Miranda stepped in.

\- _I'm sorry Sir. We're just out of our Healing Club. Do you remember? I asked you last week if we could use a room and borrow a few ingredients. We were brewing the Wiggenweld Potion for the first time tonight, and we messed up our first try. The second batch was a success, but it took longer than expected._

\- _How did you fail at a potion so simple? _he asked, cold as ice.

\- _My fault, Sir, _I answered_. I don't know how, but the potion turned to black at some point._

\- _Black? Did it look like liquid silk? _

\- _Yes Sir._

He sighed with a hint of disgust.

\- _It means you added the lionfish spines after the flobberworm mucus, instead of before. I should take point off Slytherin for being such a total disgrace. _

\- _Well, we did correct our mistake by ourselves, didn't we? _said Kaidan with a smile_. It means we progress! _

\- _Don't be arrogant, Alenko. Now hurry back to the dorm, before I change my mind. _

He did not need to ask twice, and we rushed past him in a hurry, wishing him a good evening from afar.

Back inside our Common Room, we sat on a couch, all four of us. It wasn't actually big enough for us all, but we squeezed in. I could feel Miranda's body pressing against mine, despite her not paying attention to me while talking to Ashley. At some point, while I was lost in my thoughts, someone slapped the back of my head.

\- _This is for being such a perv! _chuckled Ashley_. What got through your head, I wonder! Asking us to undress like that! _

\- _For a Slytherin, that's not quite the sneakiest way to peep on half naked girls, _added Miranda_. A disgrace, as Snape would say._

\- _I'm sorry, I'm sorry, _I laughed_. Kaidan paid me for it, I was but just a tool_.

He faked a mild shock, then jumped on me across Ashley's lap to strangle me.

\- _Traitor! You swore not to say a thing! _

We laughed for a while. For the first time in weeks, I felt like I was just a teen amongst friends, and not the newborn leader of some kind of secret society... 

OooOooOooO

As I walked into the kitchens, for the first time really, I was amazed by the energy and the life in here. The place was huge with five long tables disposed as the ones in the Great Hall on which dozens of house elves were working on roasted meat, salads or sugary pink cakes. I took a few steps in before a tiny being hailed me with its high pitched voice.

\- _Dobby is sorry, Master Shepard, but Dobby is not sure that you are allowed in here. Maybe Dobby can help Master Shepard?_

\- _You know my name? _I asked.

\- _Yes, Master Shepard. Dobby knows many names. Almost every student at Hogwarts! And every teachers too. _

\- _Wait, Dobby… If think I've heard your name before. Didn't you serve for the Malfoys?_

Yes, I remembered. Draco complained a shit ton about it at the start of our third year, rambling on about Potter stealing their house elf, about how this little inferior being should be punished to death for such a treachery. The elf looked friendly to me, but its attitude changed when I mentioned the name of Malfoy.

\- _Yes, Master Shepard, _he answered with caution_, but Dobby is a free elf now. _

\- _And you work here at Hogwarts now? I guess that's quite an improvement. _

He smiled, but did not say a thing. Maybe he still could not say anything bad about his previous owners. Anyway, I asked what I was here for.

\- _So tell me, Dobby, I need some mead for a potion. Some friends and I started working together to practice our healing skills, and we need it for our next class._

\- _Mead, Master? Honey wine?_

\- _Yes, exactly. Do you think it would be possible for you to provide some? Please?_

\- _But we are not allowed to give alcohol to students. Only adults and teachers are allowed. _

\- _I understand, but we are not going to drink it, it's for a potion. We would ask Professor Snape, but we didn't want to bother him with such a small thing, he's a really busy man._

I saw he was hesitating. I guessed there were not many people coming in to ask politely for help. I pressed on, hoping Lady Luck would smile to me.

\- _Listen Dobby, I swear to you in front of all the Gods that we won't use it to party and get drunk. In fact we barely need a flask. We really want to make this potion, but we can't tell anyone, because it is a surprise, and we don't want to spoil that. _

He looked suspicious now. Damn me. I tried another angle.

\- _Alright. You know what? It's not fair of me to ask for a favor like that without anything in return. So let's trade like gentlemen: what do you want? _

Its smile came back, wider than ever. I got him. Here's a little secret, if you need something from a free elf: treat it like a business partner, not a servant.

\- _Dobby would love a hat, Sir. A red hat. And you promise that you will not drink the mead or use the potion to harm anyone!_

I handed my hand for him to shake it.

\- _Deal. You have my word, and you will get your hat before Christmas. When can I get the mead?_

He just disappeared, apparated to nowhere, and then was back in a blink, with a big flask in his little hand.

\- _Pure honey wine, Sir. Great Quality. Master Dumblerdore likes it a lot. _

\- _Thank you my friend. But remember, not a word to anyone, or the deal's off! _

He nodded vigorously, and I left with a final handshake.

OooOooOooO

\- _I'm sorry Malfoy, but I am not interested! _

\- _Come on, Lawson, you know I'm the best catch you can get around here. The Malfoy name is the only one worthy enough of the Lawsons._

\- _You've been running after Williams for years, when not after Parkinson. Don't talk to me like I'd be anything more than another head on your hunting wall!_

\- _You know nothing ever happened between Williams and me! It was just… let's call it a moment of distraction. _

As I entered to Common Room to this scene, where everyone was looking at them both, Miranda glanced at me, in a way Malfoy could not miss. He turned his way toward me as well and confusion overtook his face.

\- _Let me be clear, _whispered Lawson_. Even if I thought you were honest, and worthy of me, which you are not, you are still too… short. _This last word was said with a quick movement of her chin to my direction._ Even if I wanted someone, I would need a man. Not a kid. Now leave me be, I need to work._

She turned her back on him, sat down at a table with her book opened, and started to copy what she needed on a parchment. She was very, very good at pretending people just stopped to exist.

When the shock dissipated and Malfoy could finally close his mouth again, his face turned to red and he rushed to the dorms. As he came by me, he stopped and lifted in finger to my face.

\- _You…_ he growled, voice distorted by rage.

He did not finish his sentence and stormed out, followed closely by Goyle and Crabbe.

Some girls in the room could not prevent themselves from giggling, but most people knew it was a bad idea to laugh at Malfoy, even in his back. Jack Harper was giggling in his sleeves, trying hard not to roar with laughter, but he stopped and seized the gravity of it when he saw me shake my head in warning.

\- _Alright, back at your own business everyone_! I said at loud_. Slytherin ain't the House of Gossips, so move along!_

Even the oldest students in the room did not argue with that, and soon the sounds of pages turning, quills writing and people whispering overtook the silence as usual. I sat near Miranda.

\- _You alright? _I asked.

\- _Of course I am. It was only a matter of time before this idiot tried his luck. But thanks for asking, I appreciate. _

I put my hand on her shoulder as I stood back up.

\- _Let's just hope he won't try to rebound with Ashley. Getting humiliated twice in such a short time would kill him._

She giggled, the most pleasant and charming sound to be honest, and focused back on her paper with a thin smile on her lips.

OooOooOooO

To be honest, time flew fast. The amount of homework slightly dropped, and even though the DADA classes were still painful in their uselessness, it looked like other professors, like Flitwick or McGonagall, were going out of their ways to make their classes as interactive and interesting as they could. They tried to compensate, maybe. In any case, I was making progress in Charms, and even in Potions, maybe thanks to our biweekly meetings.

Those moments were the best by far. Since the very next Monday, people were really closer to each other, talking without awkwardness, laughing together. I might be throwing myself some flowers here, but I still think that getting them all in underwear that a master moves. The "all on the same boat" kind of feeling did its job, you know what I mean?

To our surprise, Tali was actually a funny one. It was easy to picture her as shy and reserved, under her hood, but she actually had a great sense of humor, cracking jokes all the time, and of course, Joker did his best to outmatch her. So I kinda have to admit that we spent more time laughing than actually working, but it was good, especially because I knew how serious things were going to be later on. So I let them laugh, tease each other, prank each other, teach each other. The tighter the group, the better.

Garrus was actually getting closer to Tali. They spent more and more time talking to each other at every session, while Liara was busy discussing potions, history and all kind of thing with Mordin. The kid was younger, and of course, less mature, but he had the mind of a genius that dragged Liara to him like a moth to a flame. Jacob was more of a loner, staying a bit further back, but by the last session of October, he was talking a bit more with Miranda, maybe because she was a loner too, I guess. I can't deny the pinch of jealousy I felt when I saw them laughing together, but the bloke was such a kind and helpful guy that it was impossible to be mad at him. Ashley and Kaidan, of course, always stayed close to me, trying their best to make a fool out of me for the pleasure of the crowd, but they got along fine with everyone.

Before we knew it, we were in November, and the Quidditch Season was about to start…


	10. Siblings of Metal

**CHAPTER 9 : Siblings of Metal**

\- _Did Liara decide not to join us?_ I asked.

No one but her got cold feet after our little introduction, and after all, I asked them to think long and hard about joining in for the next step. But Tali was here, so I figured she would be too.

\- _I don't know, _she said_, _worried under her hood_. I thought she was in, she didn't say a thing about changing her mind. She was even more motivated than me! I don't know where she is, she was with me at lunch, but…_

Students were making their way to the Quidditch pitch. Slytherins were chanting some weird taunting song about Weasley, Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs were of course (mostly) rooting for the reds-and-golds.  
We were in our usual potion classroom, wondering if we should try to find another spot or not, as we had no further information about this "Room of Requirement". Mordin and Joker were super excited, as he said he had something great to share, but nothing on this topic, sadly. I was also holding a pouch which got people interested or even concerned, but none of them dared to ask me what was inside. Wandering around with this bag might have drawn teacher's attention, which would have been very bad, so I wanted to wait for the path to be clear.

Suddenly, the door opened wildly as a blue blur rushed through it, almost falling on the ground.

\- _Great, _panted Tsoni, trying to catch her breath_. I feared you were already gone without me._

She recovered and took a deep breath.

\- _I got it_, she declared with a smile_. I know how to go into the secret room!_

OooOooOooO

\- _So_, she explained_, as we were walking all the way to the 7th Floor. I found nothing in the books, I tried to talk to some teachers or house elves, but no one seemed to know where it is, although I think some of them were lying. If the Gryffindors were able to get in, there were no reason we could not, but I really thought I'd never figure how. But this morning, I had a moment of clarity. A real "Eureka" moment, an illumination. Who better than the founders of the School to know about this kind of thing? _

\- _No one, of course, but they're all long dead._

\- _Well, yes, but Ravenclaw's daughter is still here! The Grey Lady knows me, she knows that I'm into old stuff and legends and all, we talked a bit about it over the years. So I questioned her._

\- _And she told you? _I shrieked, astonished.

\- _Not at first, no. She pretended not to know, but I pushed on. I told her I knew where it was, I told her I knew some students were using it, and why we needed it as well. Long story short, I think she kinda tested me with all sorts of questions for like 20 minutes, then she finally told me everything. _

\- _Ok, spill it out! _pressed Kaidan.

\- _The room is indeed on the 7th floor in the left corridor and has a hidden entrance facing the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy._

\- _I knew I wasn't crazy, _exulted Joker.

\- _The only way to open the room is to walk past it three times thinking about what you need, and the door will appear. It is said to always be equipped with what you seek, but you have to be careful for loopholes._

As we arrived to the designated location, I stepped forward, and waved them to stay put until I was done with the thing.

\- _I need a room for ten people, no more no less, to practice martial arts and hand-to-hand combat, with a some potion-making equipment in a corner._

I walk the whole corridor three times, just to be sure, until a big door appeared in the wall. It fucking worked…

OooOooOooO

\- _This place is AMAZING_, screamed Joker as he limped in first. _Look at the size of this room! _

It was indeed very, very spacious. The door closed behind me once everyone got in, and disappeared, leaving nothing but the handle in the stone. I figured this knob would be our way out, otherwise we'd be stuck, but I felt confident.

Most of the floor was covered by a tatami mat, these Japanese soft floors made for the practice of martial art. It was 40 feet large and 80 feet long, big enough for all of us to train safely. In a corner, a small solid ground area featured a cauldron on a small fire already burning, a table with a few common herbs and tools. It was better than anything I have ever hoped for.  
Gods how I loved magic, sometimes.

\- _Guys, guys, _I yelled as they were testing this mat of a kind never seen before._ Take off your shoes before walking on that! But please! Gather here before we start!_

Without a word, but without losing their enchanted smiles either, they all joined me around the fire, as I started to get my things out of my pouch. Whispers rose when I put the flask on the table, and became concerned when I took out a shining steel knife. I also had a few herbs, and a wooden glass.

\- _My friends_, I declared solemnly_, this is it. If you are here, it means you decided to commit yourself to our cause. Or at least, our idea, because, well, that's not much of a cause. But I told you not to take this slightly, and I meant it. It meant it, because as of today, we will be more than just a friendly group of student. In a few moments, we will be blood-bound._

\- _What do you mean? _asked Tali with sincere worries in her voice_._

\- _I mean that I found an ancient ritual that I want us to observe. It will strengthen our bounds, make us stronger when we are together, and protect us against betrayal, or at least according to the book._

Now they were all looking at each other's, wondering what kind of ritual I was mentioning. Maybe I presented it the wrong way, so I explained.

\- _There is an ancient Scottish ritual, called "òran a 'chinnidh", or The Clan Song. According to this book, "Ancient Magic of Great Britain", it was used by the Scottish clans of magic Scotland since the middle-ages. They used it to be stronger in battle, strengthen the feeling of belonging to the clan and increase loyalty. I think it would suit us very well._

\- _But, _interjected Liara_, if it's so useful, why isn't it used every time by every group? _

\- _Well, according the book once again, there are three reasons. First, the usual british pride. As the wars between England and Scotland went on during the centuries, it would be very shameful for some English wizards to use Scottish magic. Then, another theory mentions the heathen origins of the spell. The ritual itself is said to be descending from even older magic from the Celtic druids of the Old Times. Finally, and way more recently, it's because of You-Know-Who._

\- _The Dark Mark, _said calmly Miranda.

\- _Yes. It is theorized that the Dark Lord perverted and twisted this ritual, or something similar, to create his mark. His was used in a spirit of domination and fear-inducing. Ain't no surprise that nobody these days want to get close to this kind of magic. But we're not that easily scared, are we now?!_

Nobody answered. They still all looked scared and doubtful, until Lawson took a step forward.

\- _Since we started gathering together for our healing classes, I've been feeling better than ever. For the first time I have friends, real friends, and I'm having a real good time. Moreover, these few seconds we spent sparring two weeks ago made me feel freer than I thought I could ever be. I am willing to take this chance, because there's no way in hell I give up on that!_

She saved me there, because I didn't know what I could add to convince them, but her testimony did the job for me, and all of them smiled with more confidence. Joker snorted and added:

\- _Well, even without the fighting, I've been having way too much fun with you lot. Shepard, carry on!_

I nodded and spilled the mead inside the caldron. The smell of honey warming up instantly floated around us. It was sweet, relaxing, and so pleasant. I added the herbs: amaranthine, daisies, fennel and gladiolus, and finally one leaf of black tulip. Then, with the edge of the blade, I cut the tip of my thumb and let a single drop of blood fall into the mixture. A pink-white smoke emerged with a smell of flowers mixed with iron. I gave the knife to Miranda. Without a word, but without breaking eye contact either, she shed her blood into the potion. Joker followed, then Ashley, Kaidan, Garrus, Jacob, Liara, Tali, and finally Mordin. By the last drop of blood, the smoke had turned to a pale shade of red. I dropped the knife into the cauldron, opened took the opened book into my hands, and started to chant.

I had no idea how to actually sing that, but as soon as the first words left my mouth, the melody flew like a river. It felt natural, it felt instinctive, and it felt good. Without even having a look at the old Gaelic lyrics, they all joined me, eyes closed, guided by the magic, in my singing.

**Diathan cogaidh  
Biodh an t-òrd agad cumhachdach!  
Le teine, fuil agus stàilinn  
Le tàirneanaich is dealanach a 'bualadh  
Mar a bhios sinn a 'rothaireachd a-steach don oidhche**

**Is sinn na bràithrean le meatailt**

**A 'sabaid gus am bàsaich sinn  
Bha ùird agus claidheamh àrd  
Tha sinn a 'sgaoileadh eagal leis a' chath again  
A 'ruighinn airson na speuran  
Gu bràth tha sinn mar aon agus tha sinn glòrmhor**

**Tha sinn a 'ruith saorsa le stàilinn mu dheireadh  
Tòisichidh turas mòr  
Thairis air na raointean sgudail, thairis air na Seachd Cuantan**

**Is sinn na bràithrean le meatailt**

The more we sang the more smoke it produced. We could feel the air getting heavy with magic aura, and the floor trembling. By the time the last words were sung, the now golden smoke slowly disappeared. I looked into the cauldron, and there was nothing left but the knife, the blade glowing in shades of red, silver and gold. I grabbed it, clenching my teeth in expectation of being burnt, but I felt nothing more than a slight and pleasant warmth. As described in the book, I applied the tip of the blade against the back of my forearm. A felt a real burn this time, but nothing unbearable. After a few seconds, I passed the knife on to Miranda so she could do the same, and then everyone else.  
Within minutes, all of us had a very light pale arrow-head shaped mark on our arms, barely visible. Mordin put the blade back on the table as it now had turned back to its original color.

\- _I feel… good! Strong! _exulted Liara while looking at her arm_. _

\- _It feels like all doubts have left my minds, _added Kaidan

\- _I have no idea of this magic works, _wondered Mordin_. I'll need to do some research_.

We laughed and joked around until Joker raised a very good question.

\- _The others named themselves "The Dumbledore's Army". We need a name on our own! Something cool and impressive! I say, "Red Dragons"!_

\- _Why Red? Why Dragons? _kidded Kaidan_. Why not "Velvet Mandragora's" while you're at it?_

\- _The Wardens? _proposed Garrus.

They all debated quite heavily until I spoke.

\- _In the song, there is a verse that comes up twice. The last one. It means "we are brothers by metal". So what do you think of "Brothers of Metal"? "BoM"?_

\- _Hey! _interjected Tali_. There's not only men here, don't count us out! I root for "Siblings of Metal"._

I looked at everyone, and all of them nodded in agreement.

\- _All right my friends. Siblings of Metal we are!_

OooOooOooO

\- _We need a war cry now! _said Joker with enthusiasm_. Something to motivate ourselves and spread fear in the hearts of our enemies! Like Quidditch teams before a game! _

He was mostly kidding, but in many ways he was right. A war cry was used on a battlefield for multiple reasons. For motivation of course, to intimidate the enemy as well, but also to distinguish one group from another. It was also a good way to strengthen the feeling of membership.

\- _Let's stick to the song once again then. According to the translation, this verse here means "by fire, blood and steel". _

\- _It has a nice ring to it, _confirmed Garrus_._

\- _FIRE, BLOOD AND STEEL! _yelled Kaidan_. _

\- _FIRE, BLOOD AND STEEL! _

We all screamed our hearts out before bursting into laughter. In the space of a few minutes, we all felt more connected than ever. The ritual did a nice job.

\- _Alright _I said, wiping a tear of my cheek_. Let's get to it my friends. Take off those robes and shoes!_

OooOooOooO

This time, they were prepared. They all were wearing something comfortable underneath, like large trousers and shirt, or sports gear like Miranda and Jacob.

\- _Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me, _laughed Tali under her sport cap_. If you wanna see us half naked again, you're gonna have to buy us dinner first._

The girls laughed with her, Liara, putting her arms around her shoulders, grinned at me as a tease. Damn, I created a gang of monsters. Jokes aside, I loved it, to see them all so close. It warmed my heart.

\- _Joker, Mordin, feel free to sit in a corner and watch. The others, here's the program for the day: we'll do some muscular reinforcement, the focus training, and finally something very special to reinforce your magic energy. Don't give me those disappointed looks, none of you are ready for combat training. We'll start at the bottom of the ladder, before dreaming of its tops. Now, how many of you know how to do a push-up?_

Spoiler alert: none of them except Jacob. So I showed them. When everyone could finally do a proper one, I asked them to go for their maximum, which was not much for Liara and Tali, to be honest (and by not much, I mean two). Jacob, the fittest of them all, could do twenty five in one go. I gave them a few minutes to breathe, then to do it again.

Of course, every time, I did it with them to make sure everything was fair. Their pain, my pain. After almost half an hour, they were all lying on the floor, and to be fair I was sweating a lot myself. Joker and Mordin kept screaming encouragements at us to help us push through our limits.

\- _Ok. That's good for now. Now, I want you to do this every morning when getting out of bed, and every night before going to sleep, starting tomorrow with your best. I want you to add one to the count. I give you two pass per week, meaning that every week you should be able to do five more than the previous week. Therefore, I expect every one of you to be able to do at least forty in a row by Christmas! _

Liara lowered her head in discouragement and despair.

\- _Don't you dare thinking about giving up! This is just one more per session! One more, it's nothing. Remember, this is power here, in the palm of your hand. This is no one but you, this is your life, your body, your power. Now, move on to the crunches!_

It was a bit better on this exercise. They really tried hard, and did their best. In the end, I also give them the same homework: twice a day, one more every day. I showed them a few other exercises, alone or in pair, which they could do if they wanted to. After an hour of practice, they were all dead and I was exhausted myself. Time to move one to the second part, after a few minutes of rest.

OooOooOooO

\- _Now we're going to do something fun! Let's make two lines of four, facing each other. Space out, take some goddamn space, no need to be hugging each other. Alright, now, each one of you is going to think of a song. Pick one which you know the lyrics of. Take a minute to think about it. Ok now, one by one, you will walk between the 2 lines, singing your song out loud. Don't be shy, we're not going to judge you even you make it rain or break the windows. While you walk and sing, we will push you around; try to make you fall, to disrupt you. The goal for you is to keep singing no matter what. It doesn't matter if you fall; it matters if you stop singing or if you let us disrupt your song. Does everyone understand? _

They still looked a bit confused, so I decided to go first to show them. I picked a muggle song called "the Hanging Tree". I started to walk around them, singing the lyrics as I remembered them: _"Are you, Are you, coming to the tree. They strung up a man they say who murdered three_"… When I got closed to Garrus, I signal him to go and try to push me. My voice did not falter one bit. Liara tried to push me too, Tali to tickle me, Kaidan to make me fall, I did pretty well until Miranda tripped me up. She caught me off-guard as I was looking at her arms, and I fell like a rookie. I got back up on the spot and resumed my song, but they all heard me failing at keeping it going. They got me twice more during the whole song, once they understood what they needed to do.

It was overhaul really fun, but also a bit concerning, as they were all very easy to disturb. Liara stopped singing for several seconds every time she was down on the floor. Ashley screamed twice out of fear, and Garrus even forgot where he was at after behind heavily pushed by Jacob. Except from this latest who sang "London Calling" by The Clash, all the others chose some weird tunes of the magical world, but it was working all the same. I even think that Liara sang a child bed song.

When we were finished, I promised then we would do this exercise every time, because they really needed it. Their focus was way too easy to break, but improving this could really increase their power and defensive potential.

OooOooOooO

\- _Last exercise of the day! Please everyone, take your wands and sit down. Joker, Mordin, feel free to join for this one. Sit down, breathe and relax. Now, I found a spell that is used in the Auror exam. It's called the Draining Charm and you basically have nothing more to do than keeping it going. To become an Auror, you have to be able to keep it on for at least ten minutes; it's used to estimate your "magical capacity". Now, I tried it once or twice, it's very easy at first, but it gets very tiring, I could barely hold on for five minutes. So let's do our best and see what we got out of it. Alright? The incantation is "**exauria medeis**". Go when you're ready, care only about yourself, don't look at the others, and … well, do you best._

The room fell into deep silence, as all wands started to glow in a pale shade of blue at their tips. At first, everyone looked comfortable, but my friends quickly started to break a sweat and clench their teeth, or tighten their fists around their wands, if not both. Mordin was the first to break, after three minutes, but it was no surprise as he was still very young. Joker impressed us, as he was the fourth to give up, after Kaidan and Jacob. Then Tali, Ashley, Garrus, me and Liara. Miranda hold on the longest, almost eight minutes.

\- _Woah, _whispered Joker_. She's almost Auror-level already… _

\- _That's our Empress alright, _whistled Kaidan_. _

There were no traces left of irony or mockery in this nickname, nothing but respect. She blushed a bit and lowered her head to hide her smile. For once in her life, she was actually proud of herself.

\- _Stop staring, guys, _I laughed_. Now you're goal is to beat her score! So please, don't forget to practice this everyday as well. Remember, three things, every morning: push-ups, crunches, and add the Draining Charm for the evening routine. Christmas is in less than two months away, let's see our progress by then. If you work hard, you might be ready for hand-to-hand combat by the end of the holidays._

Every one nodded, and I saw Mordin jumping on his feet with impatience.

\- _Alright kiddo. Share you big discovery before we leave. _

He took a coin out of his pocket and showed it to everyone.

\- _This looks like a regular Galleon, right? But it's not! It's a fake! Hermione Granger created them to use the serial numbers as indicator for the next meeting of the D.A! That is bloody brilliant, more than anything I could have think about. Each member has one, and the number changes to indicate a new date. It even gets warmer when a change is operating_!

Garrus whistled, impressed. This was high-level magic.

\- _How did you got it? _asked Tali.

\- _I stole it from the youngest Creevey while he was sleeping. _

This got me on my guard instantly and I had to raise my concern:

\- _Kid, if they find out that one of them is missing, it's gonna bite us in the arse. Best case scenario, they ditch those little wonders and find something else. Worst case scenario, they'll search for it, and we…_

\- _Ehehehe, _sniggered Joker_. Guys don't worry. The kid is at least as good as Granger, I told you! This madman pulled an all-nighter on this. This coin is not Creevey's. It's a copy. _

Mordin looked pleased and embarrassed.

\- _Yes, _he explained_, it took me all night, but I managed to copy Hermione's enchantment onto one of my own coin… Creevey got his coin back before he even woke up. _

I took the treasure inside my hand.

\- _So, _I asked_, if Granger sets the date of their next meeting, we will know it thanks to this?_

\- _We should, yes…_

I took his head under my right arm and brushed his hair with my other hand.

\- _Bloody well played, kiddo! That's brilliant! You're a real deal, Mordin! Thanks,_ I added, letting him go with a smile.

I turned to the rest of the group and addressed them all:

\- _This is it for today! I don't know if the game is already over, but there's no point taking the risk of being late. You now have all the tools you need to get started, so don't disappoint me! We'll keep meeting each other every Thursday at the potion room, and I'll keep you posted for our next training session here! Now before we go, let me hear your voice. Give it all you got!_

They looked at me and at each other, not understanding what I was asking of them.

\- _Come on guys ! Our battle cry! It's good for the soul! Scream your lungs out! _

\- _FIRE, BLOOD AND STEEL_! screamed Kaidan, Joker and Mordin, as the other were still hesitating, too shy maybe_?_

\- _Come on, for heaven's sake ! This is too weak!_

\- _FIRE, BLOOD AND STEEL! _

\- _Come on ! Let me hear you roar!_

\- _FIRE, BLOOD AND STEEL! they now all shouted._

\- _Again! _

\- _FIRE, BLOOD AND STEEL! _

At every scream, the air around us was getting thicker, like an invisible aura surrounding us. The fever was starting to rise, taking over our hearts and minds. The room was turning into a blur, my head filled with heat and passion.

\- _FIRE, BLOOD AND STEEL! _

\- _We will fuck them up 'cause we're the Siblings of Metal!_

\- _FIRE, BLOOD AND STEEL! _

It felt like an invisible force imploded between us, as the density suddenly disappeared. Our shoulders and our hearts felt lighter, the air easier to breathe, the lights brighter and more… golden, maybe?

\- W_ell, _chuckled Joker_, I guess that this ritual kinda worked._

**A/N : Both the Ritual and the Draining Charm are 100% made up. Sorry, not sorry.  
A/N2 : The ritual is a "scottish gaelic" translation of parts of one of my favourite song, who inspired this very fanfic, called ..." Siblings of Metal".  
A/N3:I dont speak gaelic. This is Google translate. Any mistake is their mistake ^^**


	11. Stunners and lovers

**CHAPTER 10 : ****Stunners and lovers**

It took us barely two weeks to go back to the Room. We all felt drawn to it, like bears to a honeycomb. We felt it, each time we met in the hallways, each time we shared a meal together or when we gathered in our potion room. Every time I got closer to a member of the group, I felt my heart get lighter and my body stronger, my magic feeding on the magical bond that now united us. Or maybe should I say that I felt the void, the lack of it when we get separated, which happened quite rarely. In a way, I was feeling sorry for Garrus, the only one without another member of the SoM in his House.

Back on the tatami mat, Joker and Mordin left back at the potion room just in case, we were lying down, catching our breath after a hard mountain-climber session. I was quite happy with everyone's progress. Liara, the weakest one, was now able to do seven times more push-ups than the first day. Tali five times more. It was still an overhaul low score but they were all sticking to the training planning, giving their best.

Now it was time to get real and truly taste the pain I promised them.

\- _Alright, everyone. Please, take your wands, and face a partner. Ok, the ones on my left, lower your wand. Lower your defenses. Breath and relax. The ones on my right… Stupefy them. Garrus, you're with me._

They all looked at me in shock. We spent the past week working on brewing a load of Wide-Eye potion, but I kept its purpose secret. I wanted them to taste the real felling of getting knocked on your arse by the curse. I believed in the saying that you have have to go through hell if you wanna give it to your enemies. It was also a way to make sure they would not use this curse lightly, knowing fully its effect. And finally, I also wanted to see if we could develop a resistance to it, like this roman emperor tasting small doses of poison over time to become immune.

\- _Guys, this is not open for debate. Stupefy the shit out of them. Now!_

And without further notice, I hexed Garrus. A red light flashed out of my wand as I casted the spell, and got swept from the floor like a feather, falling on his back a few feet behind, completely out. I heard the "**_stupefix_**!" resonate on the stones, and the sound of bodies falling on the floor. Tali, Jacob, Kaidan were lying on the ground, not moving at all. We rushed to our potion stock, and made them drink it. Even unconscious, their bodies responded as they accepted the brewage. After a few seconds, eyes were opening, and arms were moving.

\- _Is everyone okay? Are you guys in any pain? _

With a groan, Garrus nodded in negative.

\- _I'm alright, _he said._ That's not painful, just… shaking. And this potion tastes like feet._

\- _Perfect then. If everyone's ready, switch roles_!

Joining acts to speech, I took my stand, wand down, took a deep breath and closed my eyes. I barely heard the spell, I just felt run over by a non-solid wall. It was not actually painful, no stinging agony, no blunt pain, but more like a powerful force switching my brain off as it pushed me back. I didn't even feel the floor, I just blacked out mid-air, and then woke up at the disgusting taste of the potion, with no idea of how long I spent on the ground. Miranda was laying next to me, and I gotta say I loved that feeling of waking up next to her. She opened her eyes with a grimace and a cough, but smiled at me when she noticed me. Garrus gave me his hand.

\- _Alright, alright. Let's take a second to catch our breath, and let's go for round two. But this time, try to resist. Keep you wands down, but fight back with your mind. Try to raise your shield without the spell. Remember, focus, and intent!_

We did not see much improvement at first, but we felt it. We all felt a force inside our bodies fighting back against the blackout imposed upon us. Kaidan, actually, did not need the potion to get back up, as he way "only" shaken up and disoriented. He grunted and swore, but he got back up on his feet on his own.

We did this six times, trying to find our own ways to power our shields and oppose our will to stand up against our partner's will to get us down. As fear and anticipation hold us back at first, the latest round actually felt like a confrontation. The spell casters always won, but by the last attempt, we all thought that resisting the Stunning Curse by sheer will was actually possible.

OooOooOooO

\- _Have you seen Lawson and Williams? Every morning and every night, they do those weird things next to their beds, lying up on the floor and getting back up, again and again. _

\- _I know, right? I also saw them doing some kind of meditation, with their wands glowing. I don't know what they're doing… But it has to have something to do with this "Healing Club" they're going to._

\- _If you want my opinion, I'm pretty sure that whatever they're doing in that class has nothing to do with healing and potions… You saw that black guy from Gryffindor? Or this giant dude from Hufflepuff? And that weird girl that never takes her hood off! I'm telling you, something's fishy! _

\- _Maybe they're doing some kind of orgy! Or a pagan ritual!_

\- _Hum… I wouldn't mind going to this kind of classes with Shepard and Alenko!_

The girls kept talking through the hallways to the dorm, laughing and inventing some crazy theories about me being some kind of secret agent from another country, send to recruit dormant agent. They did not even see me walking four steps behind.

Christmas break was two weeks away, and the D.A was about to meet once again. This time, we would gather in the Room the next day, as Umbridge's guard would be down with Potter being in seen in public.

Our work so far was paying off. I was back to my best physical condition, and the team's progress was really impressive. In less than six weeks, everybody was now able to do at least thirty push-ups and crunches in a row. Our magical power was also increasing like crazy, and Miranda was seconds away from being able to hold the spell for ten minutes! I myself was at eight thirty, and Liara at nine minutes!

Our healing classes were now quite useless. We had a big stock of each potion, all the healing spells we wanted to master were quite easy, and we did not have needs for more. But we kept gathering. Every Thursday, we were there, talking and laughing. Training a bit as well, as we tried some more discreet ways to do our exercises.

The last Thursday before our "Room Meeting", as we called it, I saw Garrus and Tali leaving hand in hand.

\- _Wait, _I said to Liara_. Are they…?_

She nodded with a smile.

\- _Since this week-end, yes! Garrus finally grew a pair and asked her out. I can tell you, she was this close to do it herself. They look good together, don't they?_

\- _Yeah they do. Except that I will probably have to kneel if he wants to kiss her._

She laughed and elbowed me in the ribs. However, I could see she was a bit troubled.

\- _What? Are you jealous? You were in for Garrus too?_

She denied and sighed. It looks like she was thinking for a second, then made up her mind and turned to me, looked me in the eyes.

\- _Shepard, do you think… Damit, I don't know how to do that… Do you think that Kaidan would like to be with a girl like me? Or is he already with Ashley… I know I'm not like her, she's so pretty but…_

I was surprised. At first I thought she was gonna ask me out, but I never thought she had a thing for Kaidan! She was good at hiding it, to say the least. The poor girl…

\- _Liara… I'm sorry, but I don't think… I mean, you're not his type…_

\- _Oh…_ She looked ready to cry. I always saw her almost like an adult, so clever and tempered, but right now she really looked like a disappointed teenage girl. _I see… Still too chubby, I guess._

\- _No! Not at all! Damit Liara… Look, you're gorgeous. You've got a killer smile, and your blue hair is just… Let's say I like them a lot. But Kaidan… Damit, you gotta promise not to tell this to anyone. It's not really a secret, but it's not my place to tell… And I know some people in Slytherin could give him a hard time for that._

\- _What do you mean? _She looked concerned now.

\- _Let's say that if Kaidan had to go on a date with one of us… It would probably be Jacob… _

\- _Oh… Oh! _

I smiled and touch her chin with a finger to let her know she would probably like to close her mouth at some point. She chuckled and wiped of a tear for her eye.

\- _Well, I guess that's a good thing I asked you first then… I would hate to put him in such an embarrassing situation. Thanks, Shepard._

\- _Anytime. Sorry I had to give you that kind of answer._

\- _Don't be. Nobody's fault. What about you? How are things with Miranda?_

\- _Lawson? There's no "things" with Lawson._

\- _Yeaaah right. Everybody can see it, you know? No point denying it. _

\- _No, I swear there's nothing!_

\- _Well, if you really want us to believe that_, she chuckled as she left_, you should have kicked her ass like you kicked ours! _

She left me there, and I do have to admit, I was smiling.

OooOooOooO

It was two nights before the beginning of Christmas Holidays. Decorations were already up through the hallways, rooms and dorms, but the mood was not lighting up. Everyone could feel the tensions, the silent whispers when the High Inquisitor was not watching. Side were forming: the ones supporting Umbridge, Malfoy and his goons first in line, but also regular students who just wanted to follow the rules, avoid troubles and actually have a shot at the O. ; the ones fighting her tyranny in secret, with of course the D.A as leaders of the resistance; and the ones who were caught in the middle, innocent bystanders who were too scared or did not care enough to pick a side.

For some unknown reason, I could not sleep that night. It must have been something like two in the morning when I decided to leave my bed and wander to the Common Room, hoping that clearing my mind and walking a bit would help me find the sleep I was searching for. The whole Slytherin Dungeon was silent like a tomb. The usual greenlight shining from the lake through the glasses had turned to darkness, with nothing but a slither of silver from the moonlight to light my way.  
Usually, the Common Room is very creepy once night has fallen and everyone is gone. The fire is still burning, but its light seems smothered by the darkness. The welcoming leather of the chair looks as if it had been abandoned for centuries, frozen in time. But that night, in a corner, almost hidden, I saw a glow, a small light warming up the wall around it. Curious, I walked to it until a scream of surprise made me jump.

\- _The hell Shepard? Don't creep on me like that!_

That was Miranda. She was wearing a dark green night gown, a bit old school to my taste, but at least decent enough if she was ever to be seen in public like that. Her hair was tied up in a braid, and she was free of all make-up, which allowed me to notice how little she actually wore during the day. I could see by the light of her wand that she was sweating. The light started to die, and within seconds, we were back into the black.

\- _Damit Shepard. I was so close to beat my record! I lost my focus because you sneaked on me!_

\- _Sneaked on you? I had no idea you were even there! I just saw the light and wondered. What the hell are you doing here anyway?_

She lowered her head and went to sit on a big comfy chair next to the fire.

\- _Dunno. I could not sleep, so I figured I could use the time to train. I came here to make sure I would not bother anyone in the dorm. What about you?_

\- _Same. I mean, I could not sleep. I just came here to change my mind. I was not excepting some company._

\- _I can leave if you want…_

\- _No! I mean, I wasn't implying… Please stay, if you want to. I like the company._

She smiled at me, and this smile brightened up the room more like any fire ever did. I could tell she was looking at me, but I was still staring at the flames. I knew I was falling madly in love with her, but at the same time, I did not want to admit it. You see, I always wanted to grow into a strong man. Not just physically, but also mentally. I wanted to be a mountain, unbendable, unbreakable, solid enough so that any friend in need could rely on me, so that I could always be there no matter what. And at that time, I thought that being in love would jeopardize that, like a weakness. I was scared that if I turned my eyes away from the fire, she would cast a spell on me, that she would make me hers forever and therefore ruin my plan.

\- _I was wondering, _she started_, _pulling me away from my thoughts_, where did you get all these ideas? How do you know what exercise to give us, which one to start with and all that? I mean, you told us about your parents on the first day, but that doesn't explain all of it._

I scratched my head, not knowing where to start, but she waited patiently.

\- _Well, I've been training since I'm four years old. Back then, my father only made me run, you know, getting me use to the effort, the sweating, starting building my body. Since then I never stopped. He hired some private tutors, most of them were actually soldiers he served with. I remember one specifically, when I was seven. His name was Maxwell, Maxwell something. He was a giant, but he was missing a leg. He had lost it in an explosion just a few months before, but he was a real master in ju-jitsu. That's a Japanese martial art, created by warriors to fight when unarmed. Oh, he was not Japanese at all, his parents were from Africa, but that did not prevent him from being one of the best in the whole world. But the accident, the loss of his leg, of his military career, all that had left him really broken. I know it, because even though I was very young, I caught him crying in a corner twice, when he thought I was not watching. We spent almost all our week-ends together for weeks, while my father was on a mission. He was teaching me his art, at least everything I was big enough to learn, and I am pretty sure that my father was expecting this whole thing to help him to, you know… get a life back._

_\- Did he?_

_\- We thought so, for a while. After almost a year, when it was time for me to… move on to new training, he was smiling again, going out, and all that kind of stuff. He committed suicide a year later._

_\- I'm sorry…_

_\- So were we. Anyway, to answer your question, my training basically ended when I first set foot at Hogwarts. Father could not send me some soldiers to train me here… But he sure as hell did everything he could to make sure I would keep practicing on my own! He would send me owls, owls! Him, a muggle! Just to give me new training planning, new techniques, books about new weapons and stuff… Not to ask for news, nor anything about magic, you will notice. So in the end, I just had to think about how to adapt my own training to magic, find one trick or two in some books, and that's it._

_\- Well, I think this is working pretty well so far. You're a good teacher. A bit of a tyrant, but at least I can really see myself getting better. _

I'm pretty sure I blushed at the compliment. I hated feeling so weak when she was around, when she was talking to me. By the gods, why wasn't I feeling like myself? I must have picked up something, because he smile faded.

_\- Tell me Shepard. Are you embarrassed by my presence? Does it bother you that I joined the group?_

_\- What? No! Not at all! Why would you think that?_

_\- Because I can see it! Everyone can see it! You're not treating me like the others! You're going easy on me! Even right now, you seemed unpleased!_

_\- I am not! I am not embarrassed, I am not unpleased!_

_\- What is it then? Is it because I'm a Lawson? Are you scared of my father, maybe? _

_\- I am not! Please, Miranda, believe me, none of that is true. _

_\- Then what is it? _

But I could not answer. I mean, how was I supposed to tell her that I loved her? That she was all I could think of when I was getting up in the morning. She looked at me for what felt like an hour, then sighed and got up.

\- _I see_, she whispered.

She turned her back on me, and made her way back to her dorm. I was looking at my own hands, ashamed, when I saw a golden glow around them. I felt a wave of warmth overwhelming my heart, a bravery that wasn't mine taking over me. The power of the Clan Song.

\- _It's because I like you!_ I said out loud.

My voice was strong enough to carry to her in the hallway. Maybe I woke someone up too, I don't know. All I cared for was seeing her coming back, and she did.

_\- I'm sorry, what did you say?_

_\- I said that I like you. A lot. That's why I cannot stand the idea of hurting you, and the idea of putting you in harm's way. You're good, Miranda, I know that. You can take care of yourself, and you could be a greater fighter once I'll give you the tools… But I cannot help it, I just… I'm sorry if I gave you this idea. _

Her smile was earth-shattering. Out of this world. Divine. All the enchanted bravery left me in a breeze, and I suddenly felt very, very awkward.

\- _Well, euhm. Goodnight Miranda!_

And I rushed back to my dorm. Not my brightest moment.

**A/N :** Because I am in the middle of moving to another country, and also because i'm writting another story at the same time, it took me a bit of time to write this. From now on, i don't really know when i'll be able to update, but i'll try to stick to once a week.


	12. 4 Months, 3 lessons

**A/N : Hello everyone ! I'm sorry it took me so long to write this. I moved to a new country, started a new job, did not have much free time... But here it is ! the longest chapter so far ! Enjoy =)**

* * *

**CHAPTER 11 : 4 months, 3 lessons**.

I will fast forward a bit from here. I mean, if you want to know what happened between Miranda and I after this shameful confession, you will only be disappointed, because nothing happened. Nothing changed. She was still all I could think about, along with the trainings I was planning, we were still close, but not closer. She didn't talk about what happened, maybe she was waiting for me to do it, but I never got the courage, back then. Or maybe I just didn't wanted to give up the obsession that I had. You know, this smoldering, choking feeling of wanting something you could never get, but always was so close, a finger away from your hands. Anyway, nothing happened, really.

On Christmas morning, we exchanged a few gifts. I got the whole team copies of one of the most important muggle books about martial arts and strategy: The book of the Five Rings, and the Art of War. Both by Asian writers, both very old, even though the second one was older than what all of them imagined. To be really honest, my father was more than happy to provide those, thinking it was absolutely amazing (on more formal terms) that I was able to teach those Wizard a bit of _our "normal people" wisdom_. Not that he would call himself a Muggle, of course.

Anyway, the Ravenclaws girl were super happy to get their hands on books they had never heard of before. I got more polite thanks from the Gryffindor boys and Garrus, and a few friendly tease from Kaidan. Garrus also offered a small but pretty necklace to his girlfriend, which made me thought that he actually had this planned for way longer than I thought. Liara had backed some gingerbread for all of us to share, and I got to admit, the attention really touched me. Even with the Christmas Feast prepared by the House Elves, none of it had this little extra taste of friendship. How cheesy, right? I put this on the account of the Clan Song.

So basically, what happened during the next four months is rather easy: we would gather as much as possible, either in the potion room, or the Room of Requirements, and we would spent two to three hours working together. And we progressed crazy fast. But maybe I should get more into details, so whatever comes next might make a bit more sense.

So let's start with January, right after the holidays. Our first meeting in the Room was barely a week later. They were all very eager to come back. We finally had reached that point where training felt good, not deadly painful. Almost all the objectives were met: pushups and crunches, everyone could do almost fifty, within a small margin. I didn't want to push it further, it made no sense to me, so I told them to stick to this number every day.

I had another present for them for this session. It was time to put the wands down, and get closer. When I announced the first hand-to-hand combat lesson, all of them were very enthusiast, but they would not be for long.

\- _Alright_, I said_, so there are three basics punches, two basic kicks, and two basic defenses. Anyone but Jacob wants to try and guess?_

\- _Well, I know about the jab and the hook_, tried Liara, all Ravenclaw that she is_. I guess the kicks you mentioned are the ones you more or less practiced on us the first time. And as for defense, I would say parry, and and and.. and I don't know._

\- _Nice. Very nice, anyone, but you Jacob, sorry, could complete her answer? _

\- _Well, if you can't parry, you can always try to dodge, _said Ashley_._

\- _Exactly. Parry and dodge. Those are the basics, and the start of any counter attack. When you're good enough you can try to both dodge or parry and counter attack at the same time, but that's for another time. As for the punches, jabs, hooks, exactly, and the last one is the uppercut. Kicks are rather easy: front kicks and sidekicks. Most martial arts have different kinds and names for those, but we'll stick to the basics, once again. So know, today, we're going to see all of these. So get ready! In pairs, chop chop!_

\- _Wait,_ asked Jacob. _Is it really a good idea to see everything on the first session? Shouldn't we take our time, and focus on one or two move, and make sure we got it right before moving on to the next?_

I already had this conversation with myself, few days before, so I knew where I stood on this matter.

\- _In a perfect world, yeah, sure. But we don't have enough time for that. Moreover, a poorly trained kick will always be more effective than something would have never practiced at all. Now, Garrus, with me as usual, and the others, face each other. Now, let's start with something that I think is the most important. No, not the hook to the chin, although it is indeed very effective. No, I'm talking about the side kick to the leg. _

Jacob looked confused. It was understandable, he was a boxer.

\- _Let me explain, _I said._ This kick is easy. It does not require any real agility. It is rather safe, because even if you fail it you're less likely to get countered or loose balance. It is powerful, even without being a super massive bloke, and it is effective, because you get your enemy to the ground where you can finish him. Now, let me show you._

So, slowly, I demonstrated on Garrus where and how to hit: straight to the knee, from the side, using your strong leg. I showed them how to shift their hips to give power.

\- _Alright, now remember: while you should normally aim for the articulation against an enemy, right now you're going to aim for your partner's thigh. It's going to be painful, but you'll get used to it, and we have potions just in case. You can start slowly to get your marks, but don't waste too much time. Also, don't forget to keep your guard up! It's easy to wanna get your arms down to keep a better balance, but that's a very bad habit. Keep it up! Always!_

So it started. I heard the sounds on the foot on the thighs, the groans of pains, the swearing. I let Garrus practice on me, and I can tell he would be very good at it, very quickly. I took a bit of time to correct the others, but pretty much everyone got the basics right. After half an hour of hitting ourselves to tears, I stopped them to move onto the next tasks, the front kicks.

\- _It's more of a push to get an enemy to step back. You can either aim for the belly for more power, or to the balls if you're in a mood to bring pain. _

I showed them how to lift the knee properly, to handle the timing, how to either hit or push, and we practiced again, straight in the abs. The good thing is that we all could feel the real benefit of our daily training. The bad thing is that Miranda missed a kick and hit Jacob straight into the private parts. We all heard his scream of pain, his moans of agony while he was rolling on the floor, his soul leaving him. Lawson looked, horrified, her hands on her mouth as a signed of deep apologies, and us boys in the room could not helped but clench our teeth in empathic pain. At least, he did not hold any grudge.

\- _Well_, he whispered when he could finally breathe again, _at least we know it's effective._

He let out a choked laugh that turned into a groan of pain, but he finally got back up on his feet, while Miranda kept apologizing again and again. Time to move on.

We trained our punches afterward, mostly jabs and hooks. We could have use protection charms, but I wanted them to really feel the danger of a real confrontation, the real pain of a punch in the face, and therefore how to actively practice dodging and parrying.

Overall I went rather fine. It took almost two hours, and quite a bit of blood to be honest. Liara got her nose broken, both Ashley and Kaidan cut each other's lip in barely a minute time, a few bruises on the cheeks, but nothing our spells and potion couldn't fix. At some point, Tali started to cry, because Liara hit her hard three times in a row. No injuries, but the pain frustrated her a lot. But she really made me proud going back in, not giving up for anything, and getting real better real fast. At the end, everyone was exhausted, curfew was about ten minutes away, we were all in pain, and either too frustrated or suffering to real feel good about our training session. But I knew that it was a very, very good start.

It was hard to train regularly. To really practice this and get better, we would need to do it at least twice, if not three times per week, but it was impossible to go that often to the Room without raising suspicions. During the six first week of the New Year, we went three times, and did our best to practice a bit, one by one, in our small potion room every Tuesday while we were refilling our stock of potions which was, to be honest, getting really low really fast.

oooOOOoooOOOooo

It was in mid-February that we took it a step further. By then, things were getting darker at the school, but we were getting so damn stronger. I mean, I was really getting to think that the whole educational system of Hogwarts was deeply flawed. Of course, we were continuously discovering and learning new things in classes, expect in DADA obviously, but our magic was never really growing. But our training, both physical and magical, took us to some heights that I would have never even dreamt of for fifteen years old student. By that time, all of us could hold the Draining Charm for more than 9 minutes! Which is close to the requirement for being an Auror, as I already told you! At fifteen! At the end of the days, we were far less tired than we usually were. Practicing spells in classed almost took nothing from us. Our daily training felt easier every week.

The only thing is that, despite the ever-worse mood in the school, nothing bad actually happened, so we never had any use for what we were training. So we, or at least, I, could not help but to sometimes think what we were doing all this for nothing, really. We both know how history proved us wrong, but at that time, we didn't know. And we were having so much fun and success that we would never have stopped anyway.

As I was saying, it was mid-February, and it was colder than hell. Even with the big fireplace lighting up the whole room, we could see the mist out of our breaths, and we were all wearing an extra layer over our usual sport equipment.

\- _Okay, _I said while everyone was gathering around the fire. I_ know this is extra cold today, but let's see that as a new way for us to improve and train under hard condition. Today we're going to start training about something new: how to fight and disarm an opponent. Basically, your enemy has a wand, you don't, but you still need to kick his butt. How to do it? Well, there are two steps: first, get close enough. Then, take him out. For today, we'll focus on the latest part. I'll teach you how to get closer in a few weeks, I still need to work on that lesson. But this might interest you anyway!_

And it absolutely did. For four hours, I showed them how to take a wand of the enemie's hands. How to dodge a spell at point blank by diverting the wrist. How to get meaner and more violent by breaking the wrist or the elbow. How to get them down by hitting the knees. Most of these technics were inherited from either the Russian sambo or the Israeli Krav Maga, and I knew first hand that it can be really hard to learn and use against a real threat, but they did well. It would take more sessions, probably years, but at least some bases were covered. They all had a lot a fun, which was good, but they still took it seriously. Nobody got injured, which was both great but also a bit worrying. Were they too soft, too kind on each other? If you don't practice at full strength, then you might come in short the day you actually need the technic, the muscle memory working more against you than for you. Like the great samurai Miyamoto Musashi said, even when you strike for practice, strike with the intent to kill. So I noted down somewhere in my mind that I had to push them further and forget for a minute that they were friends, for their own sake.

Maybe it pushed it too far. I don't know. Looking back, I think that I did the right thing, and have I been easier on them, maybe our losses would have been much worse. But the fact remains, after the following session, first one in March, they really hated me, at least for a while.

During this session, after the usual warm-up exercises, I asked them to practice the same moves, without holding back. Once in a while, we heard some groans of pain, swear words or the clear sounds of kicks on thighs, but it was overall not really enough for me. I stopped my practice with Garrus three or four times to yell at the others for going too soft.

\- _Harder, dammit! Hit him for real! He's an enemy! _

Williams quickly nodded and focus back, then went for Kaidan's arm at full strength. He clenched his teeth in pain when she bent it to make him drop his wand, and massaged his shoulder a bit afterward. I went back to my partner and barely had the time to practice an armbar when we heard a dreadful scream. Williams was on the floor, rolling in pain, holding her legs in her hands. When she glanced at it, and finally noticed her dislocated kneecaps, her eyes opened wide in panic, and she started screaming even louder, crawling back to the wall as she was trying to physically escape the pain, horror in her eyes. Tali and Liara turned away while Miranda got even paler. Kaidan was looking at her full of remorse, repeating apologies after apologies, not knowing what to do to fix his mistake.

\- _I'm so sorry, _he yelled on top of her_. I just tried to get her to the floor, and I missed something, I don't know. I just hit her knee, and next thing I know…_

\- _Move out of the way, _I screamed_._

The good thing is that Ashley was in such a panic that I did not need to distract her. She barely noticed me kneeling next to her and reaching for her leg. I grabbed it by the ankle and stretched it while pressing the kneecap back into place. A weird noise resonated through the room, despite her sudden yell of pain, and quiet came back. She panted.

\- _Holy hell… Thanks, Shepard. Goddamit. Shit that hurts. _

\- _Yeah, I know. Dislocated joint always looks worse than it really is but it still hurts like hell. Can you stand up?_

\- _Yeah I think so… _

\- _I'm so sorry Ashley, _begged Kaidan while helping her up_. I don't know how I did that._

\- _It's okay…_

\- _Don't apologies, Kaidan! _I cut_. You did exactly what you are supposed to do in a real fight. Ashely's position was not good and steady enough, and she paid for it._

Judging by the deep dark glare I got from her and the whispers of disapproval I heard behind, I do believe that I would have been better off keeping my mouth shut. Anyway, stupid and stubborn as I was, I just carried on.

\- _Alright guys, back to work! Alenko, with Garrus. I'll take care of Williams._

I helped her to the chairs, as she hard troubled even limping. I guess that she was mainly being cautious. Anyway, as I explained her, this kind of injury might be really quickly fixed, but it could take a few weeks to properly heal, so, as a precaution, she took a heavy dose of Wiggenweld. She still did not said a word to me, so I guess she was still mad, but I did not really got the chance to ask. Barely a few minutes after we sat down, we heard another scream, and this one was on a whole other level.

I swore and rushed to Miranda, who was crying in pain, her hands trying to cover the terrible shred in her skin. Even through her fingers, I could see the white of the bone and the red of the blood. Tali almost fainted and Kaidan put his hand to his mouth, trying not to throw up. I rushed back to the table, and grabbed a couple of vials.

\- _Drink_! I said, yelled, screamed, to make her hear me through the pain_. Fuck, Garrus, make her drink that!_

Cold blooded, he took the Wiggenweld from my hands and put it to her lips. I took my wand and aimed it at her arm.

**Ferula! **

**Brackium Emendo!**

The noise was sickening. We all saw, and heard, her broken bone taking its place back into her arm, while she, bravely, bit her lip not to cry harder. The potion she managed to swallow finally started kicking, and the skin, slowly, surely, painfully, stitched itself. Even when she finally stopped crying, none of us moved an inch, scared that one footstep on the floor would break it back.

\- _I'm fine, _she finally managed to say_. I'm alright. I'm alright._

With a sigh of relief, I finally sat down.

\- _Well, good thing we worked on those spells and potions, isn't it? Alright, let's take a break and back to it in five minutes._

Liara turned to me with wide eyes.

\- _You're crazy if you think I'm going to throw one more punch today! I got at least 5 bruises, the girls in my dorm are going to start wondering why it looks like I made love to a Whomping Willow! And I can barely take another step! Miranda and Ashley need to rest, and so do I!_

Even Garrus looked disappointed, even though his voice calm and deep, and usual.

\- _Shepard, I think we should call it a day._

\- _At least I will_, add Miranda_. Liara's right, I really need to lie down, I'm feeling a bit dizzy._

I sighed. I didn't like being told wrong. To be honest, I still don't.

\- _Alright then. Ashley, take her back to the dorms. The others, let's do a quick stretching session to relax a bit, and then we're done._

They obeyed without any objections, but I still felt like did not like that very much. At the end, before everyone left, I added:

\- _Today did not really go as planned, but still, good job everyone. Don't forget your daily exercises, and let's try again next time._

Kaidan, already ready to leave the Room, his hand on the handle, sighed heavily.

\- _Man, you should really learn when to stop talking. Not cool, my friend, not cool. See you later._

And he left. Even Tali or Garrus did not look at me before leaving, I can't really say why. For the first time, I feel like I screwed something up, but I was too blind, or maybe just too young, to see what exactly. I stopped Jacob before he left. He hadn't say a word since the incident with Miranda.

\- _Hey man, _I asked_, can you tell me what happened please? How did that happen? _

He shrugged, obviously guilty but trying to make it look like it was just fate, something that could not have been avoided.

\- _I don't really know. I was just practicing some disarming moves. I wanted to see what it would do if I, you know… Did not hold back at all. If I went full power. _He lowered his head_. I should catch her and apology._

\- _Yeah, I understand. And yes, maybe you should. Go, I'll see you later._

Musashi probably did not trained with friends… The Room felt very cold, suddenly.

oooOOOoooOOOooo

The following Healing Classes felt very weird. I felt a bit excluded from the conversations, laughs got reduced to barely a few chuckles, the crew was leaving earlier than usual. Even Mordin and Joker who did not witness the accidents, looked rather confused about the whole situation, which slowly but surely took their smiles away as well. Sure, we the OWLs getting closer, we had more and more homework, essays due, researches to do, but still. Tali and Liara even skipped the next training session, on March 14th. To be honest, we did have an awful lot of work at that time, and the public sacking of Mrs. Trelawney had shaken up more than one student, including our two Ravenclaws. Nonetheless, that was the first time since our first training that anyone other than Joker and Mordin were absent from the Room, and that felt like a slap to the face. Saddened, hesitant and willing to keep my people on an equal level of knowledge, I decided to take it easy and just practice some of our basics again.

\- _What's going on? _I asked Miranda when everyone was leaving_. I know things are bad out there, but why is everyone so grim? _

She did not hesitate much before answering, like she had her whole lecture prepared for days.

\- _Shepard, people got hurt last time. I got hurt. And even though you had us warned, you didn't seem to care at all. Maybe you think this is the best way to get us trained, and maybe future will prove you right, but right now we are mad at you. I'm mad at you. So give us time._

And she left, just like that. I wanted to pretend that people were so hard to understand, that there was no way for me to have guessed and such, but come on, I was fifteen, not seven, and I knew. I've always known that I screwed up, and that trying to ignore that screw up just made it worse. Maybe it would have gone away, had I kept my head in the sand a bit longer. Maybe not. We'll never know, cause I just decided to do what was painful: apologize. You don't see that happen a lot in Slytherin, or in the Shepard family.

\- _So_, I started, facing the whole group in the potion room, four days after that depressing training, _I know that things have been weird lately. Umbridge is worse than ever, with Potter and his crew going more and more restless, it feels like we're on the verge of the Civil War. I know we have a lots of homework, and the upcoming exams are stressful. I know that. But I can't do jack about it._

Disapproving looks from everyone, especially Miranda. Come on guys, let me at least have my little "Pause for effect" moment.

\- _But what I can do is saying that I'm sorry. I know I haven't been a very good friend lately, that I acted like I didn't care about your bruises or broken bones. And to be honest, I actually didn't. It's true, I can't deny it. I thought that it was just some price for you to pay to become stronger and that you would thanks me for it in the end. But that was just stupid. I was so sure of it that I didn't see how taking two minutes to be your friend instead of your instructor would do much more good than harm. I was too focused on trying to get you stronger that I forgot there was a line between pushing your limits and harming you. So yes, I'm sorry, and I hope you can forgive me for it, and most of all, that you still want to train with me. I think I have learnt that lesson, but if it ever turns out that I didn't, speak up and let me know. _

\- _You bet your cake that we will, _cut Tali, but she was really smiling.

Smiles on all the faces. Well, almost, because Jacob always had the emotional range of a teaspoon and Garrus stuck to a nod of approval as usual.

\- _So what's the plan now_? asked Joker.

Him and Mordin were starting to get bored and complain about their lack of purpose in the group, except being used as decoys when we were up in the Room training, and keeping an eye on the potential threats, which were, to be honest, almost non-existent since Potter suck up all the attention from the watchful eyes of Umbridge.

\- _Well, as far as training goes, I have planned for the next, and final, step. At least for this year. I have a few details to figure out, but everything should be done by our next training session. As for you two, I do have to admit that I don't have anything in mind. We never got in any danger so far, and even if I don't want to let our guard down, I don't really see what more we could have you do._

Disappointment appeared on Joker's face like embarrassment on the cheek of a shy twelve years old girl confessing to her crush. But Mordin, brilliant mind that he was, was of course one step ahead already,

\- _I've given much thought to the question, _he said_. Umbridge is gaining more and more power every day, with each new decrees she hangs on the wall. I think it's safe to say that she will try to take the Headmaster's place, which would be prove to be very easy if Harry's crew is caught with that silly name. And her pressure is stronger everyday. The other day I saw her damned soul, Argus Filch, camping in from of the hallway, waiting for them to get out of Room. They never did, I have to assume the Room provided another exit, but this is getting more and more dangerous for them. And this might help us, but we could also get caught in the crossfire_.

He was right of course. Everyone now knows how it turned out in the end, which make his predictions way scarier, but even back then I knew he was absolutely right. And I had no idea how to deal with it. I was a good fighter, but I was no spy mastermind. But obviously, Mordin was a perfect fit for this kind of position, and he was not done.

\- _I started working on a few possible solutions. One could be Polyjuice. Impersonating you while you're in the Room could help killing any suspicion. But it would be very hard to do, especially in secret, and even with all the resources we already have thanks to this class. Some ingredients would have to be stolen from Snape's stash, or bought and brought here in secret. Too risky and too much investment for something so preventive. Another solution could be to work on some way to warn you if someone is coming, and keep an eye on Filch, Umbridge and the rest while you practice. Safer, although spying on the High Inquisitor might not be that easy. But at least Joker and I would be useful to you_.

My mind was racing, trying to imagine all the implications of such a plan. He kept going.

\- _We could also spread rumors about you, about our gatherings. Something that would really sounds impossible, weird and ridiculous. This could act as smokescreen to anyone who would look closer into what we do here. Send them on the wrong tracks. I do, however, have no idea what these rumors should be._

All of us were amazed, and also a bit scared, by the way this little kid was able to think of such things, and come up with this kind of answer.

\- _Let's do both then! Let's all think on how we could communicate, spying spots, rumors to spread, and targets, and discuss them next week. What do you think?_

Overall approbation. Perfect, things were back on tracks.

oooOOOoooOOOooo

28th of March, we were back in the Room. On the wall, we hanged a big clock, which pointed to six o'clock. On their hands, Mordin had enchanted two pocket watches, graciously offered by Miranda. If any threat was coming our way, they would change the hours on their end, and our clock would change as well. It was inspired by Granger's brilliant idea with the coins. A code had been decided: midnight, get the hell out. Nine o'clock, stay inside at all cost. Three, get through the back exit (hoping the Room of Requirements would provide, as it seems to have done for the D.A). Six, open the door and let us in. It was smart, discreet, efficient, as long as we kept an eye on our clock, but that was my job.

We had just finished our usual warm-up, and I was really satisfied by how impressive their progress have been, especially on the "focus on the song" exercise. Even while falling to the ground, all of them could get it going with just a small breathing adjustment. Same thing for the physical results: not that any of them were fat before, but now they were all fit, slightly muscular, with wider shoulders and stronger arms. It was subtle, because we were not going any bodybuilding, and even invisible while wearing robes, but noticeable in t-shirt or sport gear.

\- _Today, we're going to learn how to work in pair. You probably wondered, at some point, what were all these hand to hand technics worth if you can't get close to your enemy. How are you supposed to disarm an opponent if he's all the way across the room, the hallway, or the battlefield? Well the answer is, with some help. With someone tasked to protect you, distract the enemy or force him into hiding while you're getting closer. So starting today, you will have a partner, in whom hands you will have to put your life in. So far you have, almost, always practiced with the same partner, on purpose, but if you feel that a change is needed, now is the time. _

Liara took one step closer to Tali, and Kaidan put his arm on Ashley's shoulders with a giant grin. She sighed, but could not help but smile a little. Garrus looked a Tali, worries in his eyes, and asked me:

\- _Shepard, do you want me to be your partner still, or…_

\- _Yes please._

He looked back at her, trying to hide his disappointment, but Tali smiled warfully at him, and gave in to Liara's sisterly hug. I, of course, did not fail to notice the glimmers of regret in Miranda's eyes, but decided not to say a thing just yet. Jacob, silent but watchful as always, looked a bit uncomfortable. I guess he noticed that Lawson was seemingly hoping to get me as a new partner.

\- _Ok, so we'll start with a very basic exercise: the trust fall. Anyone familiar with it? _

After a few laughs, some slightly bruised ego and an overall good exercise, we moved on to the next step, the real one.

\- _So_, I explained, _this is going to be a two against one, for now. On one side of the room we will have one people with a wand. On the other, a team of two, one with the wand, the other without. The goal is simple, the unarmed one must disarm the single opponent. Please be careful not to break the wands, though. Or anyone's arm, for that matters._

They chuckled and send a teasing look to Jacob.

\- _The only curse allowed is the Stunner. Otherwise, feel free to use everything you want the way you want. Except the bystanders, of course. Okay? Let's see what you got guys. Let's start with Tali and Liara against… Kaidan. Let's go._

It ended almost before it even started. Liara launched forward at the speed of a hummingbird, but Kaidan was expecting her and took her down with a Stunner before she had taken three steps and Tali could raise her own wand.

\- _So, what do you guys think went wrong here_? I asked the crowd, once Liara got revived_._

\- _Well, Tali did not protect her._

\- _Yes, but why?_

\- _She did not get the time, _answered Ashley_._

\- _No, the timing was off, _rectified Jacob_. Liara went too early. She should have waited for Tali to provide a cover, make sure Kaidan had to focus on something._

\- _Yes! Very good Jacob, thanks. Please remember that! NEVER go straight on someone armed if you know they spotted you. Or if you have the slightest doubt. You have to pick your moment. Hide. Wait for the perfect moment, a distraction, covershots, anything. Just don't rush. Think. Be smart. Now Tali, you go against Williams, and Liara's your back-up. Let's go._

This time, Williams acted first, aiming straight for Tali, but she dodged, rolling forward on the floor. She tried a second time, but she got hit in the chest by Liara's stunner, and collapsed right away. Grinning, Tali walked to her and took the wand out of her unconscious hand before reviving her.

\- _Few things were wrong, here, _I said when they were back in front of me in the corner. _But also some very good things. Nice dodge, Tali, nice follow-up by Liara. But please, for the love of the gods, don't let your guard down, ever. Maybe she could have faked getting hit. Maybe her partner could have showed-up. Don't forget, even if it seems done, it is not. Try to pick the safest option at all times. Now, Ashley, why did you go for Tali first?_

\- _Well, because I knew she was coming at me…_

\- _Yes, but at that moment, who was the biggest threat to you. Who had the most chance of hurting you? _

\- _Liara…_

\- _Exactly. The one with the wand. The one that can hurt you right now. In this case, Tali was "tomorrow's problem", until she gets to you, she's no threat. So please, remember that when you fight, pick the opponent accordingly. Also, know how to use that. Use it at your advantage, but also know that some, like Ashley, might not recognize that and attack you when they should_ not. Also be careful, mindful, keep your eyes opened, and seize the opportunity, like Liara just did. Get it? Next, Jacob and Miranda, against Garrus. Go!

She tried, but Garrus managed to get Jacob down before the got to him and she ended up with his wand against her neck. And then, she was up against me, her wand tight in her fist, and Jacob ready to rush at me.

\- _Go!_ Screamed Garrus.

\- **Nox!**

And at Miranda's unexpected command, the lights went off, and darkness took over. I tried to react as fast as I could, I knew Jacob would rush to my last location, so I moved to my right, hoping his eyes would take a few more seconds to adjust. I raised my hand toward Miranda (or where I thought she was standing), and stopped at the last second. A spell would reveal my position. So I decided to press the attack and not wait for them to pick me up like a cherry from a cake. I run forward, head down just in case, and expected to get to Miranda in a few steps. But I soon got kicked hard in the guts, so hard that I fell back on my butt, drop my wand, and roll on the floor in pain.

By a flick of the wrist, Miranda lit the flames in the fireplace and on the candles back up.

\- _Damn_, I groaned, _what the hell happened?_

Jacob landed me his hand.

\- _Well, I guessed that you would not stay still in the dark. I thought that, cunning bastard Slytherin like you, you might want to take the fight to us, so I waited for you here. Heard your footsteps, you know._

I took his hand and got back up.

\- _Well played guys. Very well done. Turning the lights out was.. clever. Risky though, you lost your landmarks as much as I did, but it was very good nonetheless! Very good job both of you. Alright, let me catch my breath. Next, let's take turns_.

And we did, for three hours. When we got out, it was past curfew time, we were exhausted, but satisfied. Teamwork was working well. It would take time and practice before they could act as really units, but for a start, it was very promising.

Three days later, Monday 1st of April, I crossed path with Joker in the hallway. I was looking sick worried, and grabbed me by the robe to drag me in a corner.

\- _I was searching for you. Man, this is so bad ! Potter and the D.A just got caught !_


	13. Down with the Darkness

CHAPTER XI : Down with the darkness.

\- _That can't be true_! yelled Kaidan_ in the Potion room. How is that pink monster the Headmistress? How is the School Board letting this happen?_

\- _Well, she got the trust of the Ministry, _answered Miranda._ I guess she carefully wrote her reports to make sure she'd be the best to take over Dumbledore. _

I raised my hand to ask for silence.

\- _Mordin, tell us again what happened exactly._

\- _Well, _started the kid_, I was just checking on the D.A, I knew they were having a training in the Room of Requirement. When I arrived, I saw Umbridge, Filch and the Inquisitorial Squad burst down the walls of the Room. I have no idea how they found out. I hid in the corner, and saw them getting out with a couple of the members, including Harry. Most of the others managed to escape, I don't' know how. I had to leave not to get caught up in all this, so all the rest is just what the guys told me in the Common Room. Long story short, it seems that they took Potter to the Headmaster's office, in order to get him expelled. Instead, Dumbledore claimed to have commissioned Harry to build and train a private army for him to use as he'd take over the Ministry._

\- _WHAT? _screamed Miranda_. _She would understand and fully grasp anything politic-related way better than us_. That's treason! Life in Azkaban!_

\- _Well, that would explained why he took off and pulled what is said the most incredible escape ever right under the nose of Umbridge, and even a couple of Aurors. Anyway, he's now a wanted fugitive, and because McGonagall is believed to be her faithful follower, the Ministry did not want her to take over has she should have. So they appointed Umbridge._

\- _And Potter_? I asked_. He really did get off with nothing but a little tap on the nose? _

\- _As incredible as it looks, yes! Hermione thinks that, despite doing their best to discredit him in the newspapers since last summer, Fudge & Cie don't want to be seen as his enemy. He's still, after all, the Boy-Who-Lived, and most of magical Britain still consider him as a savior and hero._

I heard Alenko spat something under his breath.

\- _So what will happen to them now_? asked Liara._ Do you think they will keep gathering nonetheless?_

\- _I don't think so, _answered Joker with a hint of sadness in his voice_. They know that neither Dumbledore nor McGonagall is going to protect them now, and they can't go back to the Room of Requirement. They would have to find another spot, and with Umbridge's eye right upon their neck, I don't see how they could do it. They will probably focus on their OWLs, for now._

\- _And what does that mean for us? _enquired Tali.

\- _I means we have to be extra careful. But no way we'll stop. And it's just proof once again than Potter is all they care about. Our precautions seems to be good enough so far so let's keep it this way._

She nodded, alongside a few others. All of us felt like nothing could stop us. We were brave, strong and unbeatable. The progress we made the past months, with the confidence we had in our magic and our strength, combined with the effect of the Clan Song, cleared our heads of all doubts and fears. I didn't have anything else to teach them at that point, so it would be nothing but practice, and practice and more practice. With the exams coming closer, focusing on the Shield spell, the Stunner and our overall magical capacities seemed to be the best idea for everyone.

In the end, as dark and depressing we thought this month of April would be, it was not, thanks to two crazy redheads : the Weasley brothers. They "special" treats did some work, and wreaked havoc especially among the Slytherins. Our Common Room was half empty most of the time, because they were at the infirmary. The ones from the Inquisitorial Squads were hit especially hard. Malfoy got sent a first time because his nose would not stop bleeding. To think about it, that might be really dangerous, at some point. Anyway, he was very, very careful after that, but somebody managed to slip some Ton-Tongue Toffee in his food. We don't know for sure, maybe it was the interaction with the sauce, but instead of swelling and turning purple, his tongue got yellow, and very, very long. He had to rush to Mrs Pomfresh, holding his tongue in his hand, under his chin. Miranda did not miss her chance to tease him to death about it, to his great shame. She had a knack for this, her wits and the sassiness in her voice made it far worse than every other girl could ever have.

* * *

After the Easter Holidays, where we managed to go either to the Room or the Potion classroom almost every day, they started to organize meetings with our Heads of House and Umbridge to discuss career options. At this point, I do have to admit, I realized that I actually never took the time to think about it before. While Professor Snape was reviewing my grades, she glanced at me like it was the very first time she'd seen me. To be honest, that was indeed the first time I had a direct interaction with her.

\- _So, Shepard, _started my Potion teacher_. I see here that you are doing quite well in Charms and Defense. I know your potion skills still leave a lot to be desired, but I would admit that they are slightly above the terrifyingly low average of your class. As if your friendship with Miss Lawson helped you improve over the past few weeks. _

At the name of Lawson, Umbridge's face woke up and she raised an eyebrow. She knew that being friend with the daughter of one of the most powerful, though secret, family of the country meant she had to proceed a bit more carefully.

\- _I trust that you have given some thoughts to what career path would suit you the best,_ he said.

That was not even a question. I did give it some thoughts. Like ten minutes before. Umbridge moved slightly forward on her chair.

\- _I did, Sir. Considering my grades, as well as what I like in life, I figured that teaching would suit me the best._

Silence settled down for a few seconds. I guess that this is not something they were expecting.

\- _Well, this is rather an unusual response. And what class would you teach, young man?_ asked the pink demon. Her voice was like glass on a chalkboard. The worst sound ever, even worse than a young Mandragora's scream.

\- _Well, I guess this is still to be determined. As Professor Snape stated, Charms and Defense against the Dark Arts, your class, are the ones where I am at my best, which also happen to be my favorites. So why not one of those? I do know that_…

She cleared her throat, loudly. Respectfully, I gave her time to speak.

\- _It seems to me that both of these posts are currently occupied, Mister Shepard, and I don't believe you would have the level to replace Professor Flitwick anytime soon. _

\- _She has a point, Shepard, _added Snape_. Positions at Hogwarts are very rarely opened. Some have literally been filled for hundreds of years by the same teacher._

\- _Well, not all of them, _I answered, looking straight into Umbridge's eyes._ We had five Defense teachers in five years, at this rate, I feel confident that I might have this kind of opportunity sooner or later._

She straightened. The flames in her eyes lit up in a heartbeat, and only her sense of politics kept her from sending me out.

\- _What exactly do you mean, Mister Shepard?_

Hop, right into the trap. Perfect.

\- _Well, I did have the feeling that we would have a new teacher once again next year, as I thought you would take your duties as Headmistress full-time. As even Albus Dumbledore, despite his flaws, could not be both Headmaster and teacher at the same time, it seemed like the logical order of things to me._

\- _Oh. Well we haven't discussed it yet, but I suppose that might be a possibility. _

\- _Back to you, Shepard_, cut Snape with a soft but very distinct hint of exasperation_. There is indeed no need to decide right away, but I can already assure you that it would be simply impossible to get a teaching position at Hogwarts right after your graduation. You would need to prove yourself in the said field for years before having this kind of opportunity. Even if Hogwarts is not the only possibility, as you could consider teaching abroad, or being a private tutor, it is still a long time goal and you need to think of reasonable first steps to achieve it. _

\- _I know, Sir. Considering that I'm a Muggleborn, I have very little knowledges of the careers existing in the wizarding world, I was planning on discussing this with classmates and the teachers, after our OWLs results._

Umbridge straightened on her chair. She had no idea of my origins until this moment, it seemed. I added:

\- _Thinking about it, maybe Muggle Studies could also be a good field for me. I really feel that there are big improvements to be made here._

\- _I don't think this will feature in the curriculum for very long_, she squeaked with looking at me from under, sipping her tea. A toad with hair, I swear.

It was very hard not to reply with something cold and clever. Muggles were so powerful and dangerous that wizards had to live hidden for centuries. You'd thought that learning about them in order to stay safe, or be ready in case of war, would be the basics, but no. Well, in any case, I just wanted to let her think that I was on her side, so she would not look too much on my case. On our case. But just the mention of Muggleborns might have thrown all that away.

\- _Maybe you're right, Ma'am. In any case my conclusion is that I should do my best at the OWLs and see what first career step would be the smartest afterward. _

Snape quickly nodded.

\- _If this is your ambition, _he said_, then you should not give up no matter the difficulties ahead. Teaching is a privilege that is earned, not given. Despite all these insufferable and annoying disturbing elements, this is a noble profession. I trust that, as a true Slytherin, you will do what it takes to reach such a position, and that includes taking the time it needs._

\- _I will, Sir. Have a good day. Headmistress_.

With a quick bow, I took my leave. I hated every second of being such a suck up, but both as a Slytherin and the son of a military family, I knew the meaning and the necessity of respecting authority, at least in appearance. Something Potter never did, I guess.

* * *

On April 22nd, we were in the Room, training. This time, I had wished for a classroom, with chairs, books, desks and other furniture. My friends were curious at first, but the curiosity turned into excitation when I told them we would practice double-dueling in a class, as the battlefield would not always (or even never) look like a training mat. The rules were simple: each team had one with a wand, the other without. First team to take out both members won and the only hex allowed was the Stunner, as usual. Of course, everyone quickly figured out that the terrain was to be considered as an advantage to take, resources to use, instead of an obstacle to overcome. Quickly, desks started flying, books used as projectiles, chairs thrown across the room. Miranda, smart as ever, worked out an interesting strategy with Jacob: she lifted him with a Levitation Charm, and send him flying across the room, straight onto Liara who was too surprised to react. She fell heavily onto the floor, dropping her wand. By the time Tali turned back to Jacob to help her comrade, the Slytherin stunned her in the back, and she fell while Jacob finished Liara out with an arm lock until she gave up. It was fun, despite the chair I took in the head and made me bleed all over my shirt, despite the fact that our potion stock was getting dangerously low, and despite the fact that more healing spells than hexes were cast. Resisting the Stunning Spell was still very hard, and it required all the focus possible to prevent getting knocked out, but you'd still be dizzy enough to be out of the fight for a minute. We needed to get better at that.

They were a lot of suffering, even two broken bones, but unlike the previous time, we took the time to heal the wounds and work together until everyone was satisfied, despite the pain. I was about to go against Miranda and Jacob for the third round when I noticed our clock. The hour had changed to midnight.

We rushed out, Ashely still wiping out blood from her nose from Tali's punch. Mordin was waiting for us outside.

\- _Hurry up,_ he just said before leading the way, keeping us in the dark about what was happening.

After a couple of stairs and a few turns, we arrived in a corridor when a strange smell started to choke us. The wetness of the air became quickly insufferable. The whole area had been turned into a swamp. Before I could ask what in the hell was happening, we heard a quite familiar voice yelling threats, followed by a "_No, I don't think we will_". Few seconds later, after a rumble shook the walls, and with much screaming from Umbridge, and cheering from a few students, the Weasley Twins flew above us at his speed on their brooms.

\- _Give them Hell, Peeves! _shouted one of them. I turned around, noticing the trickster ghost not far behind.

I would not see those crazy ones until the rain of spells falling onto our heads, two years later.

* * *

Of course, the Escape of the Weasley Twins would be the talk on everyone lips for weeks. It was a ray of sunshine in the clouded sky of Umbridge's Hogwart. Her Inquisitorial Squad became nothing but a bunch of bullies with so much power that would not even need to hide themselves. The younger kids even developed a system to warn each others of their presence in a place or another to avoid them, or be sure to be at least a dozen to walk past them. The sun outside was finally back, and the temperatures finally started to rise, but it barely helped with the moral. As students could not gather as they wished without proper authorizations, the field outside were empty instead of being filled with friends and couples doing their homework together under the sun. They just stayed locked inside their Common Rooms as much as possible.

It was even worse in Slytherin, because even if the Squad would not take points from us, though Crabbe did it once, stupid as he was, they would use their newfound power to force others to do their deeds. Homework. Spying. Favors. It got so bad, that once, after lunch, when I was trying to read a chapter on Fire Charms, that I suddenly heard a male scream from behind me. I jumped out of my chair to find Miranda, dragging Goyle into the room, holding him with an arm lock behind his back. He was twice her size and weight, but no amount of fat would protect him from the pain of having the fingers and elbow twisted like that. Her technic was flawless.

\- _Lemme go, you old had_! he quirked_. I swear you'll regret that!_

\- _Shut up you garbage!_

She was in such a rage, I had never seen her like that. Her eyes were pure lightning. Behind her, a young girl with pretty blond hair followed shyly. Her face was pale, but her eyes very red. Tears were still running down her cheek.

\- _What is going on?_

The voice of Draco Malfoy had taken an imperious tone. His voice becoming more and more one of a man, his charisma was exponentially increasing, and it was hard not to take him seriously now, unlike a few years before.

\- _It happens that this sorry excuse for a human being used his Squad badge to get Aerin to undress! Threaten to report her to Umbridge and get her expelled if she didn't obey._

\- _Are you sure? _he asked calmly_. Do you have any proof?_

\- _Proof? I walked in on him just as he was saying that! He was even trying to lift her skirt at the same time!_

Goyle did not even try to deny. A faint smirk appeared on his lips through the pain, and he groaned:

\- _It's not like she not begging for it, with short skirts like that and a body like this. That Half-blood should be proud that I took a bit of interest. _

\- _She's bloody thirteen!_ yelled Miranda.

She let his arm go, and with a perfect move from the hips, smashed his face with a hook on his jaws. His head was probably as hard as rock, as he only took a step backward, but rose his hand to his cheek, absolute surprise in his eyes. Everybody stood still, in shock. Lady Lawson had just punched a guy. Not slapped, but punched.

\- _Tell me again how she asked for it! How it's her fault if you're a trash!_

\- _I…_

Before he could add another word, she threw another one. A direct jab, straight to the nose. It was not just a punch, throwing arms around hoping something would happen. It was a real knocker, cast to destroy. Her shoulder forward, the use of her leg's strength, the twist in her arm, all of it was absolutely perfect. Almost as perfect as the sound of his nose breaking under impact and the blood flowing out.

\- _You bitch_, groaned Crabbe.

He tried to move forward to help his "friend", but I did not even need to intervene. Kaidan and Ashley were already on his path.

\- _Stop_, yelled Malfoy. _Crabbe, you back the hell off!_

Without a single look for Goyle who was halfway crying, trying to fix his nose and stop the bleeding. He walked to the young third year, Aerin, and said:

\- _Young lady, I am very sorry for the behavior of my subordinate. He will be dealt with, or rather obviously already has been, and this will never happen again. Please accept the apologies of the House Malfoy_.

He did not wait for to answer, of course, he just turned back and kicked Goyle in the rear.

\- _Go and get your bloody nose fixed! Damn fool! _

They got out the Common Room, maybe to the infirmary, under the whispers of the Slytherins. Aerin reached for Lawson, who took her in her arms, hugged her tight and strong.

\- _Go_, she finally whispers_. You have things to do, don't let those fools get in the way of your studies and success. And if they start again, you come to me._

The kid nodded, and left to her dorm, brushing the remaining tears off the corners of her eyes. I walked to my friend, while Alenko and Williams made sure no one would bother us. I put my hand no her shoulder, like I believed a friend would do.

\- _Thanks_, she said.

\- _For what? _She got me confused.

\- _For not stepping in. Letting me handle this. Fight my own fight. You know. _

She lifted her eyes to me, and I could see she was about to cry as well.

\- _Adrenaline_, she explained_. And the rage. Merlin, it put me in such a rage, I could have killed him._

\- _I know. I saw. Well all did. You were scary. Your punches were really good. You should aim more for the chin, with your hooks, though, and less for the cheek_.

She smiled.

\- _I'll try to remember that. Now I should go get some rest._

\- _Hey Miranda_! I stopped her_. You're not scared they might come back after you?_

\- _Nah. My father could put their whole families in Azkaban if he wanted. Not that he would, he probably would not care the slightest, but still. They would not dare. Malfoy will not let them make an enemy out of me, he's smart enough to know that. And if they're too stupid, you guys have my back, right._

\- _Always,_ answered Kaidan with a bright smile, joining us. _By fire, blood and steel_.

His smile was gigantic. She nodded with a chuckle.

\- _Good night, Siblings._

* * *

Hogwarts was never much a place for bullies, as far as schools go. Pranks, sure, a buttload of them even, because magic makes it so easy, but true ruthless bullying with malicious intent, not really. Most students knew that if anything like that ever reached the ears of McGonagall, a real Gryffindor like her would never let any of this slide and the punishment would be unmatchable.

However, with her power reduced to nothing with Umbridge as Headmistress, this emerged rapidly. Goyle's assault on Aerin was just one of the first. Soon, younger and weaker wizards were easy targets for shameless seventh years for were looking for a bit of forbidden fun. Slytherin got the bad role, of course, but we know Gryffindors and Ravenclaws also had their bad apples. Not so much at Hufflepuff, without surprise. Anyway, some might just have started has meaner pranks, or real bullying, but then came the revenges. Paybacks. The Weasley's nasty treats, even though the twins were gone, became even more popular as means of vengeance. And so, naturally, bullies hit back even harder, and the whole cycle of hate started to spin very quickly. It took what, barely three weeks? Of course, no one would tell you about that now, because it would tarnish Potter's reputation, as well as the whole school's, so it's way easier to forget. But it happened, trust me on this.

There was also a weird rumor. One day, a young first year from the black and yellow House was talking to his mates at his table as I passed by.

\- _I swear! It was like a giant black ghost! This mean guy was about to kick me, I don't even know why, I just crossed him in the hallway while getting back to the dorms. And then BAM! The dark ghost just took him away. _

\- _You didn't even see his face! Stop making things up, there's no dark ghost in Hogwarts._

\- _I am not making this up!_

This was not the first report of what a few younger and easily impressed souls called the Dark Angel, which quickly turned into "Archangel". But it is true that more and more older students with shady reputation turned up at the infirmary, while the number of young victims slightly decreased.

May went by. Hotter, and darker. Despite being unable to practice, the D.A did not rest. They were fighting Umbridge at every corner of the school, with traps, pranks, treats and jinxes. The Squad was usually their main target, although some innocents were sometimes caught in the crossfire of Nosebleed Nougat and other niceties. The exams being barely a month away for both fifth and seventh years, they spent most of their free time in the Common Room or the library, which took away any sense of security left for the young ones. Everyone was afraid. Tensed and paranoid. The Siblings of Metal felt useless. All this strength we had built could not be put to use so easily, despite what Lawson had proved to everyone by smashing Goyle. The two trainings we had that month were not great, everyone felt frustrated, irritated. Some small disputes happened, easily resolved, thank the gods. All these negatives feelings were poured into our spells, and every **Stupefy** were of incredible power, which made resisting to them completely impossible. Which added to the frustration. And so on, you know how it works.

The OWLs were supposed to start around the second half of June, and to be honest, we thought it might just be it, that if we just clenched our teeth a bit longer, keep our fists in our pockets, it would all be over, at least until the next year. But it would still be a real bowl of fresh air, and then we would be a bit older, wiser, and stronger. We would have had the whole sixth year to find a solution. But of course, Potter could not wait, no no no. Something had to happen right away, something had to go wrong, as every bloody time. I know, I'm probably being too harsh, the boy lost his godfather in this mess. But did it have to happen during of the test of History of Magic, damit?


	14. Siblings against the Squad

**Chapter 13 : Siblings against the Squad**

Really, things started to spin out of control just a day before that. I still have no idea how it bloody happened, but from what I know, while we were taking exams, there was a fight between Umbridge, McGonagall, and that big ball of hair named Hagrid.

I've always like that simpleton. Most Slytherins could not tell enough bad things about him, being half-giant, wizard with no wand, with a weird attraction for weird creatures. But I liked him for it. He was honest. Real. As boring as some of his classes were, you could feel his love for the creatures of the Earth, for the world around him. He lived in it, took care of it. On many aspects, he was more of a "real man" than many wizards will ever be. Anyway, the High Inquisitor wanted to sack him, to the greatest joy of Malfoy, and McGonagall would of course never let that happen. As results, she ended up in St Mungo in Merlin knows what state, and I got no idea what happened to the giant. But it's fair to say that the Gryffindor's Head of House being hurt was kind of like a kick in the ant's nest, and I thought Potter was ready to burn the whole school to the ground in the middle of our exams.

To be fair, back then, we did not pay much attention, all of our focus was on the exams. The Defense against the Dark Arts went rather good. I completed all the tasks, and by the end, I was asked if there was anything else I would like to show. I said that I could cast a pretty good stunning spell.

\- _Can you now? Alright, show m_e, said the Auror in charge of the practical exam.

He build a spell shield, strong enough to be visible by the naked eye, glowing in a pale shade of transparent blue. I focused, and glanced over Umbridge. Little did I know that Harry Potter would later produce a corporal Patronus that would become legendary, but at that time it did not matter. I gather every bit of rage I could feel toward her, and redirected it to my spell.

\- **_Stupefy_**!

The red light exploded with a loud crack, and the shield shattered in a thousand magical pieces. Thrown back, the old Auror fell unconscious. Before Umbridge could open her damned mouth, I rushed to him and _innervated_ him.

\- _Okay kid_, he said. _I'll give you that, it was pretty good. Help me sit down, please._

I obliged, and before I left, he asked:

\- _Any other talent you would like to share?_

\- _Well, I can hold the Draining Charm for twelve minutes, if it's of any interest to you._

He rose an eyebrow.

\- _Really? Well, considering you're already the third one to talk about this charm today, I will take your word for it. But it is the first time in years that so many students are practicing this one. Is it something you taught them, Headmistress Umbridge?_

\- _Well, not directly, _she gloated, _but I did mention a couple of time that it would be a good thing to practice, especially students aiming for an Auror career._

She did look uncomfortable telling this lie, and I clenched my first in my pocket so hard that I hurt one of my finger.

\- _Very wise advice indeed, Headmistress. That little Miss Lawson was the most impressive, never in my life have I seen a fifteen years-old hold that spell for nineteen minutes. Also, Mister Shepard, one last thing. Fueling your spells with anger and hate can work for a bit, especially with hexes, but it makes them far less stable. You could injure an ally, or yourself, if your control is not absolutely perfect. Keep that in mind please. You can go now._

That last piece of advice made me doubt myself but hell, it was behind me now, nothing more to do than waiting for the results. So where was I? Ah yes, that big dumb fluffy ball of hair Hagrid got expelled from the castle, McGonagall straight up to St Mungo, and Potter like a ticking time bomb. So we're in the middle of this bloody exam, which seemed to be endless, when Potter fell on the floor, loudly. A couple of kids, Draco Malfoy first in line, laughed at him, of course. Even I thought that he fell asleep, quill in hand, and fell from his chair. But I saw the panic in his eyes and the color of his skin changing. That was nothing like falling asleep in the middle of what we all agreed to be a useless and dull examination. It looked like he had learned the death of his brother, if he had any. The rest of the event is pretty blur in my mind: he rushed out of the classroom, despite the yelling of Professor Binns, but only a dozen of minutes were left anyway and I was pretty much done with my essay.

Unlike any other post-exam discussions, the main topic of the chats around us were not how screwed we were, but all about Potter. What happened? Was he finally cuckoo crazy? I trusted that Mordin, Joker or Jacob would be able to provide us with more information, but we hadn't plan for meeting until the following week. So I pretty much let it go.

* * *

Things got real and ugly on that very evening. I was back in Slytherin's Common Room, debriefing with Lawson, Alenko and Williams. The later looked tired, almost sick. She said that she had a rough couple of nights, stressing over the exams and late revisions. Alenko kept saying that she should go to Mrs Pomfrey to get a quick fix up but she would not obey. A tough girl, she wanted to be. But to be honest, I did not push further, because I was way more focused on Miranda.

It was mid-June at that time. And even in the underground cooler dorms of Slytherin, the heat was unusually high. Most students had dropped the robes for more comfortable outfits, and Miranda's light tank top was eye-catching. Very "muggle" in a way, dark green (of course), and a cleavage that would unmistakably point out that she was way more of a woman than a young girl. I was sure as hell not the only one checking her out, but then I noticed that, for once, Draco Malfoy was not. In fact, he was not here at all, and an alarm rang in my head. I had a bad feeling. Potter's meltdown, and now the whole Inquisitorial Squad missing from Slytherin's dorm, that was a weird coincidence. I got up, looking around.

\- _What's wrong_? she asked.

I did not have to answer, as Aerin came by.

\- _Shepard! Your weird friend from Gryffindor is outside the dorm. He keeps begging for people to let him in. He's creeping me out, please make him leave. _

I barely heard the final words, I was already rushing toward the door, the friends on my heels. When the stones opened up in front of us, we stumble onto Joker, who was trying multiple passwords while trying to find any possible crack on the wall that would cheat the gate.

\- _Hell! You're here, thanks Merlin!_ he screamed.

He was not smiling, and that worried me more than the tone of his voice.

\- _What's going on? You're making too much noise and attracting unwanted attention! _

\- _We don't care about that right know! We need to act! Potter needs our help! The D.A needs our help! _

\- _Okay calm down. Let's move away from the door, and you'll tell us everything._

\- _No time, no! Damit! Listen, Potter is held by Umbridge. He and his friends tried to force her office for some reason. He got caught, and some members of the D.A, including Lovegood and Longbottom, are fighting the Inquisitorial Squad right as we speak! _

\- _And so? _intervened Kaidan_. We agreed we would not meddle with Potter and Co. Let them fight their own battles._

Joker grabbed him by the collar and pushed him against the wall, not even hiding the grimace from the pain in his bones. I knew that Kaidan could have broken both his arms in a second if he wanted to, but he was too surprised to react.

\- _You may not care about them, but they are my friends! They need my help, which means that I need yours, because I can't do a fucking thing on my own! I sent Jacob to get the girls and Garrus, but if I have to go alone, I will bloody do so! Hear me, "brother"?_

Ashley gently put an arm on his shoulder to make him let go.

\- _It's okay, Joker. We will help you, and them. After all, it's high time that someone puts the Squad back to where they belong: the trash_.

\- _And the OWLs are done, _added Miranda with a smil_e. So even if we get expelled, we will at least have that going for us._

\- _Show us the way, Joker_, I concluded.

* * *

The corridors felt longer and darker than usual, the heat of early summer hitting us even in the evening and through the magical stones. We were already sweating as we climbed the stairs, Joker limping his fastest. Reaching the 2nd floor where the DADA Teacher's office was located, we did not hear any sound of battles, but the ones of swearings and painful groans. Jacob, Liara, Taliu and Garrus were there, hidden at the right corner of the hallway. Without a word they warned us to silence. We stopped on the left corner, and Jacob threw me something.

I was a bit surprised, but caught it anyway: that was Liara's make-up mirror. I understood immediately and used it, down on the floor, to look around the corner. I could spot, a dozen meters further in the hall, Malfoy, Greengrass, and probably Crabbe. I listened carefully to try and understand their words.

\- _Those bastards, _was fuming Draco_. I swear upon the name of Malfoy, I will make each one of them bleed for that! _

\- **_Innervate_**, whispered a voice a barely recognize. Maybe it was Pansy Parkinson. Then I heard a loud groan that was surely Goyle's.

\- _Where the hell did they go?_ Asked Malfoy.

\- _They went on the Headmistress's tail_, answered Greengrass. _They probably want to rescue Potter and the filthy Mudblood. So I'd say, the Forbidden Forest._

\- _Okay let's go. We have to stop them._

\- _What?_

The girl sounded scared.

\- _What, you want to tell Umbridge that we let them all escape? That we can't even handle a couple of kids with their stupid tricks? No way! Plus, I got a score to settle. _

\- _And are we going to do? Kill them?_

\- _Don't' be stupid, by Merlin! Not even my Father and Umbridge could make this go away, if we killed four students in the fields of Hogwarts! And I don't know about you, but the Death Curse isn't something my Father has taught me just yet! No, no killings, but some nasty scars, a couple of burns, and an unforgettable lesson, that we can do. Now let's move! Hurry!_

The mirror made it hard to be sure, but I counted six: Malfoy, his two usual goons, Greengrass, Parkinson and Bulstrode.

A couple of seconds away, the sound of their footsteps faded across the corridor, as they went the other way.

\- _Shepard, you have to help them_, begged Joker_. You heard them, this is going to be nasty!_

\- _I know Joker. I want you to go and grab Mordin. Head for the Potion Room, and wait for us here. Make sure we have a stock of every potion just in case. And try to make it sound like we're with you, just in case. Ashley, you go with them. _

\- _What? No way, I'm coming with you! _

\- _This is not up for debate, Ashley! You're all pale, I can see you sweating from here and you really don't look alright! You're in no condition for this, and you know it! So you go with them, and as soon as we're done, you're going to the infirmary! _

\- _He's right,_ _Ash_, added Kaidan.

She knew I was, and was smart enough to admit it.

\- _Damit! You better be safe! _

He smiled and winked at her.

\- _Siblings, let's go. We follow them and we don't let things go south._

We hurried through the hallways, trying not to run to get spotted by anyone. Or anything.

We barely had stepped outside when we heard them again.

\- _I see them! They're going to the Forest! _

\- _I think I see Potter and Granger too! But where is the Headmistress! _

\- _I can't see her!_

\- _I think they did something to her! _

\- _Hurry!_

At that point we pretty much had to run. The night had fallen hours before, but the moon, pale and bright, lit the fields well enough to spot them. At the edge of the Forest, the blurred shapes of the youngest Weasley siblings, Lovegood and Longbottom had reached what looked like Potter and Granger. Umbridge was indeed missing. After a couple of seconds, it seemed to be headed towards the gatekeeper's house.

To my horror, I also noticed that Malfoy was not accompanied by only his five Slytherins sidekicks, but also by two older Ravenclaws. Eight of them, versus six of the D.A, but Malfoy also had the advantage of surprise as well as the anger and the hate in the heart to fuel his spells.

\- _We can't let them get to Potter_, I said. _Let's go, just like we practiced! Fire, blood and steel_!

We were roughly hundred meters behind them, and if they hadn't spotted us before, our battel cry fixed that for sure.

\- _What the hell_? groaned one of the Ravenclaw boys, seeing Garrus, Jacob, Kaidan and Tali running straight at them, heads down.

\- **_Serpensortia_**! yelled Malfoy, with impressive reflexes. He did not waste time trying to understand what was happening, but immediately took action towards the apparent thread.

The summoned snake was nothing like common viper he showed us during in dual against Potter in second year. This one was a dark, very, very big cobra that hissed and showed in fangs toward my friends.

Garrus did not stop for a second.

\- **_Wingardium Leviosa_**! I screamed, moving my wrist like Flitwick taught us years ago.

The snake rose up in the air, apparently quite angry with that fate, as Garrus ran just underneath. The impact of his fist with Malfoy's jaw resonated through all of Scotland, and the poor blond boy fell down, knocked-out before he even touched the ground. The snake disappeared as its summoner lost consciousness.

The cries of surprise turned into yells of rage from his followers, but my friends were already onto them. Jacob went straight for the biggest, Goyle. The simpleton did not even think of drawing his wand, surprised as he was. With a graceful and swift jump, my Gryffindor friend crushed his chin with his knee, falling onto the grass with his victim.

Crabbe had already his fists up, ready for a good old fashioned brawl, when Kaidan tried to hit him. His guard stopped the punch, but his slowly and awkward counter attack was easily dodged from under by Alenko, who let go two mean hooks, one to the liver, one to the temple. Crabbe fell, straight as a candle.

\- **_Stupefy!_**

\- **_Stupefy!_**

Miranda and I, in perfect sync, hit the two Ravenclaws boys who were too indecisive and unprepared to think of any spell to cast.

\- **_Stupefy_**!

\- **_Stupefy !_**

\- **_Protego!_**

Tali, fierce as a lioness, had run straight to Daphne Greengrass, ducking her spell like a pro. Liara, on point and well trained, intercepted Pansy Parkinson's Stunner to protect her partner. The hooded girl plunged under the extended arm of the blonde witch, and with a perfect judo movement, grabbed her, made her flip above her, and finished her off with an untamed, and probably very dangerous, kick to the head.

\- **_Stupefy_**!

Milicent Bulstrode, who did not even raised her wand, fell too.

Pansy Parkinson was the last standing. Tali turned toward her, focused, while Jacob stoop up and Garrus was checking on Malfoy. The young Slytherin was looking terrified, as Miranda, Liara and I caught up and joined them. She lowered her wand, knowing she was now severely outmatched. The whole scene took barely five seconds, and all her seven friends were down.

Suddenly, the fear in her eyes turned into rage, even in the dark of the night, and she rose her wand again, quickly, and yelled:

\- **_Crucio_**!

Tali fell, screaming in agony, twisting like a snake on the grass.

\- _No_! screamed Garrus, launching forward.

He grabbed Parkinson's wrist, placed his own shoulder under her arm while pivoting backward and with a powerful move, pulled the wrist down. Her elbow snapped in two. She shrieked. Very, very loudly. Tali, who was freed from the spell, was panting, trying to catch her breath.

\- **_Silentio_**, casted Miranda.

The pain of Pansy Parkinson became a silent one, while her tears were running down her cheeks as her eyes opened wide were staring at the open fracture.

Garrus, holding Tali in his arms, was gently whispering some reassuring words as she was trying to hold back her tears. It only lasted a couple of seconds, thank the gods, barely enough for her to realize what actually happened to her, but the aftershock had kicked in.

\- _Bloody hell_! cursed Kaidan. _Where did she learn to cast an Unforgivable Spell?_

\- _Maybe thanks to that lunatic Mad-Eye last year,_ guessed Liara_. **Brackium Emendo!**_

The disgusting wound started to heal. Slowly. Obviously painfully as well. After five seconds, while her whole face was drowned in tears, the bones was back to normal, and the skin patched up.

\- **_Somnium_**!

Parkinson fell asleep. Now all was quiet again. Potter and his team were nowhere to be heard or seen. They were just gone.

\- _What are we going to do with them_? wondered Alenko_. They're gonna be so pissed! We're gonna be expelled! _

\- _Not if they don't remember it, _smiled Miranda, getting her wand back out.

* * *

\- **_Obliviate_**, she whispered after a second of focus.

\- _Damn_, whistled Kaidan. _This is a seventh year spell… And not an easy one. Where do you learn that?_

\- _My mother was an Obliviator_, Miranda declared. _So I trained for it years ago so I could, you know… Feel closer to her._

It was the very first time she mentioned her mother, that I know of. I noticed the use of the past tense.

\- _Okay_, she said, when she was finally done with all eight of them. She was sweating, looking tensed and tired._ Now, what do we do with the bodies and the injuries? We can't let them here unattended! _

\- _Maybe we can get them back where the D.A kicked their ass_? offered Garrus

\- _And how would you carry them all the way up there unseen? It's already a miracle all of Hogwarts is not already here, with that snake yelling her lungs out. _

\- _I have an idea_, started Liara. Mr Hagrid's house is just down there, _and we know he's not here for now. Let's get them here, so at least they're not outside._

\- _And let's bring a couple of bottles_, added Jacob. _So it would look like they had a nice party with Firewhisky. To celebrate in the end of the OWLs!_

\- _Plausible_, concluded Tali, getting back up. _I vote for it._

With the Levitation Spell, it was not that hard to move the bodies. It only took us some extra minutes because Garrus and Jacob went to the kitchen to try and snatch a couple of bottles. Some house elves were rather easy to intimidate, and it was common practice to grab a drink for celebration. The trick was not to get caught by the teachers, even if they all knew that it was some kind of tradition.

Roughly fifteen minutes later, all the Siblings were gathered outside Hagrid's messy house, if one can call that a house. Each members of the Squad was passed out on the floor or on a chair, except for Malfoy who got the bed. Two of them actually woke up during the process and were put back to sleep with the appropriate spell. The whole place was way too small for us all to fit in it, so we had to gather in the backyard to protect ourselves from unwanted gaze.

\- _Do you think that you could create fake memories_, asked Liara to Miranda. _Even if they don't remember anything, that will be very suspicious, they might try to dig further. It would be safer for us to add that extra layer._

\- _Hum. I don't know. I mean, I could, but that's even more exhausting than the Memory Charm. I don't think I could do the eight of them, especially create a coherent group memory. Also, if not done at a level that only Dumbledore and a few Masters could reach, fake memories are not hard to identify for the ones who know how to look. I think this would be even more risky than doing nothing at all…_

\- _What if you created one small memory per person?_ I asked. _Different moments. Grabbe stealing the bottles. Malfoy drinking it in one go. Greengrass laughing at Milicient passing out. It doesn't_ _matter if those memories are weird and blurry, I'd even say that would be the point. The only thing that matters is that a couple of them remember coming here, and starting to drink. _

\- _I should be able to do that, yes._

\- _Yes, that could work, _confirmed Tali._ Good idea, Shepard._

She went back inside, her partner with her, and came back barely five minutes later. Jacob was holding her up, and Garrus and I had to take over to carry her to the castle, then with the help of Kaidan back to our dorm, where no one but a worried Ashley was up to greet us.


	15. Aftermaths

**Chapter 14 : Aftermaths**

So that was the very first battle of the Siblings. Well, I say "battle", but it was more like an ambush, wasn't it? It was almost a clean success, but Parkinson's foolishness reminded us all that a single mistake in battle could prove fatal.

When we arrived in our dorm, helping Miranda walk as she was almost falling asleep in our arms, Ashley jumped on us.

\- _What the hell happened? It took you so long! Oh Merlin, is Miranda hurt?_

\- _I'm fine_, she whispered with a smile. _Just drained. I need my bed. Help me, would you?_

So she did, and Kaidan and I waited for her to come back, sharing nothing but a satisfied smile. One minute later, Williams joined us, and sat next to Kaidan, an arm around his shoulder. She assaulted us with questions.

\- _What happened to her? Is she going to be alright? And the others? What about Malfoy, he hasn't come back! None of them did!_

\- _Calm down, Ash, easy!_ laughed Kaidan. _It's alright. The Squad is sleeping inside Mr Hagdrid's house, knocked out of their lives. Miranda needs to rest because she wiped their memories, after we kicked their ass._

\- _Woah, you really attacked them? How did you do it?_

We told her everything, how Jacob looked so stylish with his flying knee in Goyle's face, the Cruciatus Curse on Tali, Malfoy's Snake, and all the rest.

\- _What about you? _asked Kaidan then. _You look and sound better! _

\- _Yes, I was really getting worse when I was with Mordin and Joker. The kid took me to the infirmary. Mrs Pomfrey said I ate something that did not agree with me, I'm pretty sure it was the pork. Anyway, she gave me a potion, I threw up non-stop for ten minutes, and now I am much better. The only problem is that I can't sleep. Too much energy. Also I was waiting for you, I could not just go to bed. By the way, you didn't tell, what about Potter. Did you guys find them_?

I shrugged. No bloody idea. But the newspapers of the next day would bring the answer.

* * *

He is back. That's pretty much what the Prophet said. Some mess went down at the Ministry, and even though Potter and his army were not mentioned, I was absolutely sure that this was because of him. I don't know how they did it, but that had to be why we were not able to find them: they had been off to the ministry. The articles said that multiple wizards witnessed You-Know-Who fighting against our Headmaster, including Minister Fudge himself. Force was to admit that Potter was right from the beginning, and that war was already upon us.

They talked about it in the hallways.

They talked about it in the Great hall during lunch.

They talked about it in our Common Room, although the content was significantly different… When fear spread through the castle like a winter wind, excitement took over the young and naive minds of many Slytherins, who believed it would soon be their time to shine…

How could you not have the reputation of a Dark Wizards incubator with that level of stupidity? How could any decent person not feel ashamed of being sorted in here? Back in my first year, I thought this was about being smart, being focused and dedicated to reaching your goals, cunning and success. I was proud of it. Now it felt like it was just about being dumb and evil…

Kaidan almost rose from his seat at some point to punch a seventh year in the mouth, but I stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.

\- _Don't do that, brother. If war is indeed coming, we're behind enemy lines. We need to stay discreet, and lay low._

Speaking about discretion, or the lack of it, I guess we can mention Malfoy and the Squad.

They came back in the morning and showed up in the Common Room at the worst time possible: just before breakfast. Everyone saw them, walking across for the absolute "walk of shame", looking dirty, tired, smelling of booze and Firewhisky (which we had intentionally spilled on few of their clothes). Even better, we discovered that Draco was missing a front tooth! Garrus had probably knocked it off with his devastating blow.

To our great pleasure, Mrs Pomfrey argued that she was out of potions and that he would have to wait for a couple of days before she could re-grow his tooth (or so we heard). Seeing him keeping his mouth shut, or hiding behind his hand while eating, was a delight, even if it indeed lasted only two day.

Pansy Parkinson was often grabbing her right elbow with her left hand. She should not remember anything about the broken bone, but she might have a small scar left anyway, I was not sure. At least she didn't look in pain. In any case, none of them came to bother us. Either our little trick worked wonders, or they were really good actors planning their revenge. But most of them were too stupid or impatient to plan something like that, so I was not really worried. Malfoy was the only one that I needed to keep an eye on.

Now, Umbridge. The infamous pink bitch. Of course, now we know the truth, about her encounter with the centaurs, and that Albus Dumbledore saved her for whatever reason, even if we will probably never know how. And even if History would prove that it was the dumbest idea ever.

But back then, we had no idea what happened. She just appeared in the hospital wing two days after the incident. She had been stripped from all of her "titles", as our Headmaster was reinstated, and the newspapers even talked of investigations for the abuses some students suffered under her reign of terror. We might not have seen it ourselves, but the story of how Peeves chased her out of the castle, hitting her toad face with McGonagall's walking cane is one of the highlights of the year for sure. As soon as the word of her demise spread out, chants were praised, young couples didn't wait a single minute to start kissing in the hallways, and a quick and drastic diminution of the Weasley's candies symptoms was noticed by Mrs Pomfrey. But I can't really say that the good mood was back either because, well… No matter how young and stupid we were, it was not enough to forget the return of the worst Dark Lord of our time.

Concerning Harry Potter, it was another matter. Angry, depressed, one second on the verge of explosion and the next one without a single spark of energy in his eyes, he was almost unrecognizable. The same could be said about this friends, but for different reasons. I had seen war veterans before. Tough guys with training coming back after months, or years of battles and traumas, either seeking the help of my father or just coming over to meet an old friend. It was easy to see that those kids went through their baptism of fire.

The way they walked when they were together looked like a patrol formation, with Harry in its center, covering most of the angles. Their eyes were different, always looking around, evaluating things, assessing, like the next threat would jump on them at the next corner. Neville Longbottom looked far more confident and mature, Loony Lovegood not so loony anymore, Ginny Weasley always had her hand ready on her wand, and her brother was one step closer to Granger that usual.

You see, this is the difference between rookies after their first battles and battle-hardened veterans. A vet incorporate all these littles things in his behavior, it becomes a second nature, and most people would not even notice. But they were scared, they looked scared. Tired and on edge. This was new to them and they were constantly, consciously looking over their shoulders. Even Kaidan noticed

\- _They look weird, don't they?_ he asked me, looking at them eating in the Great Hall. _They barely speak. Potter keeps his head down his plate. Look at the young Weasley, she keeps checking for her wand in her pocket!_

\- _I know. It's not weird. Those are first battle aftermaths, I think. And Potter looks a bit like my dad did when he lost one of his teammate in an ambush, a couple of years ago. Even worse so, but Shepard Senior being who he is… Although all of them seems to be here, so I don't know for sure. _

\- _Rumor has it that they thought against Death Eaters and the Dark Lord himself_! said Ashley, who was not usually too incline to gossips.

\- _And left without any casualties? Pfff sure, and my father's a dragon,_ laughed Kaidan.

\- _I would not laugh,_ countered calmly Miranda. _If he's to be believed, he already escaped them last year, while carrying a dead body. And personally I don't think he's lying. None of us know what really went down, even if it's seems obvious that they're somewhat connected to whatever crap happened at the Ministry. Ministry where, should I remind you, You-Know-Who was spotted by many witnesses…_

That shut us up. We had faced the Inquisitorial Squad, and won easily. Our technics worked nicely, we hit hard and fast. But while we were satisfied by overpowering a bunch of untrained brats, the D.A was most likely facing the Dark Lord's minions, if not the said Dark Lord himself. That put them in another league, while we were still playing like kids in kindergarten… That angered me, as well as scared me. For months, I have been having this doubt: did I really trained my friends well to something effective, or just groomed them to be slaughtered by the first volley of curses? Our victory against Malfoy comforted me, but this realization had brought those doubts at full speed.

* * *

The last evening before leaving school, the Siblings of Metal gathered one last time in the potions room. The first thing we did was discussing Potter and his friends, but sadly, none of the Gryffindors had any more information. It seems that someone had indeed died, but no one was missing from the castle, and no name had been dropped.

Next things was to tell, once again, the tale of our first fight against the Squad. Ashley manifested her displeasure of missing that, again, while Mordin was looking at us with big eyes full of stars and Joker with a very large grin.

\- _We should set up bounties_, he joked_. One butterbeer for each broken tooth or broken bones_!

Liara gently slapped the back of his head to get the stupid idea out of it.

\- _Tali_… started Mordin with a small, shy voice. _What… What did it feel like?_

Under her hood, despite the heat, she had remained silent since the beginning of the evening. To think of it, I don't think I heard her speak a single word since the fight. She looked at Liara, questions in her eyes, which got answered by a gentle smile and a slow nod.

\- _It's hard to describe. It's like the very essence of pain, it does not sting, it does not burn, it just… hurts, you know? Your brain try to pinpoint the source to know where you're hurt but it's everywhere, it's everything. To be honest, I'm lucky it did not last longer, thanks Garrus. I barely had the time to understand what happened, and trust me, it's more than enough to wish it never happens again_.

\- _Are you alright? _asked Jacob.

Damn stupid me. I didn't even think to ask! I thought that Garrus handled it! And I didn't even care, I was sure she was okay! I would have slapped myself. I was not the only one, though, as Kaidan, and even Miranda, lowered their eyes in shame. Maybe there's indeed something wrong with us Slytherins…

\- _Yes I am_, she said, her head high, a slight smile on her lips, sparks in her eyes in the darkness of her hood, _don't worry. I would have said so, otherwise. But thanks for asking, Jacob. Thanks all of you for caring._

Then she looked at me, straight in the eyes.

\- _Sorry Shepard, but no. _

What? What was she talking about? She resumed before I could ask.

\- _I don't think there is any way to resist it. At least I haven't seen, or felt, any_, _in the split second that it lasted._

I raised my hands in surrender, and said with a smile:

\- _You know me too well, Tali. I believe you._

\- _Not that it's going to stop him from practicing on all of us,_ laughed Garrus.

\- _Mate_! protested Liara, hitting him on the shoulder. _Not funny! You don't joke about that stuff!_

\- _Alright, alright! I'm sorry! _

Silence fell. We all knew what was coming up: two months far from each other. Back in a world where Voldemort was back.

\- _So what's next?_ asked Kaidan, first to break the silence.

\- _Well, we all keep practicing our exercises during the summer, I prepare some new lessons for you guys, and we resume in two months! _

\- _Will we still need this whole Healing Class cover thing, and the Room of Requirements? _

\- _I don't know, we'll figure this out. But I think it would be better, yes. The more we keep this secret, the less danger we are in. Who knows, it might come in handy one day…_

The very next evening, after long hugs, tearful kisses between Tali and Garrus, a fair number of teases from everyone, we arrived at King's Cross, and went our separate ways as we were welcomed by our families.

_**A/N** _:Hi everyone ! Short chapter this time, to conclude the 5th year! But i'm already working on next chapter !


	16. Last teenage summer, PART 1

**Chapter 15 : Last teenage summer, PART 1**

* * *

**Potions**:_ Exceeds Expectations_

**Charms**: _Outstanding_

**Transfiguration**: _Outstanding_

**Herbology **: _Exceeds Expectations_

**Care of Magical Creatures: **_Acceptable_

**History of Magic**: _Poor_

**Defence Against the Dark Arts: **_Outstanding_

**Ancient Runes: **_Acceptable_

**Astronomy: **_Acceptable_

**Divination**: _Poor_

Eight OWLs, with an 'O' in my two favourite classes. My hands were shaking while holding the letters. This meant that pretty much any interesting career I could think of was still a possibility, and that was good news. That was, if there were still any career to pursue anywhere.

It was the 13th of July. It was hot, as every summer for any British, but the sky was still clouded, that day. Heavy and threatening. And every owl I had received since we left King's Cross, from Miranda or Ashley (it would be a cold one in hell the day Kaidan would write anything), would bring the same kind of news: People missing, or dead. The Head of Magical Law Enforcement? Dead. As far as I know, one of her relative was in the D.A. The Wand Maker, Olivander? Missing. A couple of muggle families also appeared to have been slaughtered, even if our news on TV would only speak of "animal attacks" or "robbery gone wrong".

My father, John Shepard Senior, stood behind me.

\- _So_, he asked, _those exams?_

\- _Good enough, I think. I validated eight out of ten classes, which is very good, and got the best possible grade for my three most important subjects. From the looks of it, all doors are still opened for a career in the wizarding world. Even Law Enforcements._

He frowned and left the room without a word. Not a single praise, not a single "good job, son". To be honest, I know he meant it, but he still could not really accept the idea that I would make a career as a wizard, not in the military. Or not even as anything in HIS world. I thought mentioning an Auror career might smooth things down, but in vain. To be fair, he had a really poor opinion of them, with good reasons.

Just a couple of hours after returning home from Hogwarts, I had talked with him and Mother about Voldemort. The infamous Dark Lord, brought back to life, ready to take power by force and with a well-known hate for Muggles. What do you think my father's first reaction was? Grabbing his wife's arm and running off to bloody Australia? Of course not. He wanted to go home, call his army buddies, some kind of general high up in the government and Gods know who else, and set up a taskforce to hunt the bastard down.

\- _You can't do that Father_, I begged. _You would risk exposing the whole wizarding world with it… They would rather come here and erase your memories in a flick of wand. _

\- _So you say that they would chose secrecy over the safety of their people?_

\- _In a way. Wizards also think that one Dark Lord is a lesser evil than the billions of Muggles turning onto them._

He had mumbled, rambled something about stupid and lazy ass politicians, and put his hand on Mother's thigh while focusing back on the road. First thing back home was to look into the security system and buy a new alarm, making sure his (registered) guns were all working and accessible, and probably setting up booby traps and goddamn landmines all over the house.

For a couple of days it felt good to be back. Mother, Mrs Jane Shepard, was as icy as ever, but the fact that she kept asking questions about school, magic, my friends, and of course, Miranda, proved that she cared, underneath that military coldness of hers.

I also spent a couple of afternoons with Grunt, my old friend from primary school. Not his real name, of course, but the nickname had always stuck with him. Ugly bastard he was, head strong like a brick and growing up to be a nasty streetfighter. Not the best of company, said my old ones, but I knew the guy had a big golden heart. At least if you were on his good side, I mean.

The night after I received my OWLs results, we got drunk with some beers he snatched from wherever he had wandered during the day. Hanging out in a yard behind his mother's house, while the clouds threatened to unload their annoying content, we emptied bottles after bottles, while talking about old memories, girls, and our dreams. Which is rather hard to do without mentioning magic, but he seemed very interested in meeting Miranda. And Liara. And Ashley. You see my point.

Of course, that would be the last time of the summer that I could hang out with him, as my father did not take well my very first hangover. Grounded. Would you believe it? I was about to turn sixteen, and I was grounded.

Worst, it was time to resume training, he said! He had met a guy called Anderson, a Navy Captain with seemingly a "great strategic mind and a lot of experience".

So started the 20th of July, I spent my summer days listening and studying under David Anderson until the end of the month, almost ten hours a day. Hand to hand combat was rather basic, but studying strategy with him, that was incredible. From the old battle and the campaign of Hannibal to some of his own anecdotes of his battles during the Gulf War, there was always some interesting things to say and learn. I've never read so much than I had in these ten days, but I was really disappointed when he had to leave.

\- _Sorry, son_, he said while putting in cap on, _but that was the last one for me. I'll need to thank your father again for this opportunity, it was a pleasure to teach you. Hopefully we could start again next year._

\- _New assignment, sir? _

\- _Maybe, kid. I'll find out when I arrive. _

\- _Alright. Thank you very much sir, I learned a lot. The pleasure was mine. _

Of course Shepard Senior would not leave me hanging and enjoying my vacations.

\- _A new instructor will arrive next week, to teach you about the new automatic weapons in the army. Meanwhile you should start reading this book to get started_.

Death by boredom. I was almost hopping for an attack from the Death Eaters, but I received the next best thing: a letter from Miranda.

"John,

I hope you are doing alright, despite Mr Anderson leaving. He seemed like a very interesting fellow, and a good teacher. I'm counting on you to pass those knowledges onto us!

And that could be very soon! Next Monday (so, in three days), Father will let us having the house at the beach, in Spain! I know, it's very short notice, he was supposed to spend the holidays with us but… well, something came up, as it always does. And since it's the first time that I do have friends to spend the holiday with, I managed to convince him.

I also think he hopes that I would be safer away from Britain right now.

I already have the International Portkey, and am sending this invitation to every Siblings!

We could even stay until the end of the month!

So, what do you say? Up for a trip to the sun and the sea? (and your dear Ashley in swimming suit?)

Let me know very soon!

Your friend,

Miranda"

\- _No_, said Father before turning back to his newspaper. _Grounded_.

Bloody hell.

You know, convincing Father would be more difficult than actually fighting Voldemort with a hand tied behind the back. You would think that I could have taken it to Mother instead, but Jane Shepard was not a perfect match to my father for nothing. But on the other hand, there was no way in hell I would miss something like that. So it took me barely five minutes to decide myself.

"Miranda,

I'm in. I don't want to spend the four next weeks learning about the most recent guns and whatever gruesome way of slaughtering each other Muggles came up with.

Send me a broom so I can escape from this madhouse.

I beg you.

John."

On the next morning, a big black owl carrying a rather large package knocked on my window. Literally. With its monstrous beak. And it was loud enough to get my mother yelling from downstairs:

\- _Son, what is this sound? Is everything okay up there?_

\- _Yes Mother! Just an owl, a message from a friend! _

\- _Alright! Lunch will be served soon, please come down and set the table!_

They would have to wait for quite a while. The package held a nice black broom, and a quick note saying it was enchanted to drag me directly to Miranda's place. I stuffed my bag pack with nothing more than my wand, a couple of clothes and my swimsuit, I quickly wrote a note that I left on my desk.

"Sorry Mother, Sorry Father,

You can ground me more next year. But I'm not missing that trip to Spain.

I'll keep writing.

Love you,

John"

I grabbed the broom, opened the window, and jumped. I was not really used to flying, but I had my classes, same as everyone else. By each mile separating myself from home, I felt the surge of fear and regret growing inside of me. Shepard Senior wasn't the kind of guy who would take this as a funny teenage prank. That was pure disobedience, and you know how soldiers love obedience… You know what? Now that I talk about it, I'm more and more blaming the Clan Song. I'm sure that without the magic working, I would not have jumped out of that window. At least not without more hesitations. But here I was, high in the clouds, freezing my arse off, hoping no Muggle would see me. Maybe the broom was enchanted for that as well? I don't know.

It took me over two hours at high speed to reach Lawson's Manor. When I landed, I was soaking wet, as I had crossed those stupid loaded clouds. Ironically, it started to rain just one minute later. Karma, I guess.

I had no idea where I was. Somewhere in the countryside, north-east of London, probably. I saw nothing around expect fields and couple of trees. Not a single road either. The mansion was just here, out in the open but still isolated. In a way, that creeped me out, despite the welcoming white stones of the walls.

You would have expected a huge castle, at the very least, for one of the wealthiest family in the country, but it was not like that. A big house, for sure, maybe a very big house, with its three floors, but nothing more. A couple of windows on the top floor had a balcony with some flowers on it. I was expecting a huge iron gate, some sculptures of fire breathing dragons or giant snakes, but no. It was just a regular sized wooden door, with no front yard whatsoever. Only the door knock stood out, carefully crafted in the shape of what looked like a giant reptile. Not really a dragon, not really a snake, it was something else, I could not really say what exactly. I knocked.

Nothing. Holy crap, if it wasn't the right place, I was in so much trouble! Lost in the middle of nowhere, with no idea where I just landed and forbidden to use any magic. I started sweating bullets despite the rain, I knocked again, harder.

Finally I heard some footstep inside. The door opened with a sound and there she was, looking at me with her eyes wide opened in surprised.

\- _Shepard? What? Already? I.. I was not expecting you until tomorrow at least! _

I had not think about it! She had said three days, I was two days early at least!

\- _Oh hum_… I stuttered. _I euhm… when I received the broom this morning, I just thought… like. Euhm. "Let's go". You know?_

She laughed, and cleared the way for me.

\- _Oh dear, you always find a way to surprise your world, don't you! Please come on in! You're soaked_.

The manor felt quite different in the inside, way more modern, geometrical, everything in tones of black on white. The floor looked made of white marble, so did the stairs. The chairs and table in the living room on my left were probably made of ebony, and the couch and armchair on my right of the finest leather.

\- _Well_, I said, _it does look far more luxurious on the inside than on the outside. No offense._

\- _None taken, _she smiled_. Father always said that we do live in here, not out there. Come with me._

She dragged me to the first floor's bathroom and handed me a towel to dry myself up. I gave her a look and she rolled her eyes before leaving the room and closing the door behind her to give me some privacy. It was such a pain not to be able to use my wand to dry myself up in a flash…

Dressed in my spare clothes, my wet stuff on the dryer of the bathroom, I joined her on the couch. In a way it felt a bit like in Slytherin's Common Room, which might explain why it almost felt like home.

\- _So what happened? _she asked_. Judging by the size of your bag, you just grabbed whatever was closest to you and came right away. Was it that bad at home?_

I shrugged.

\- _Not really. I just knew that the longer I'd stay, the harder it would be for me to leave. Stupid punishment, just for a hangover. We did not even break anything. At least not that I can remember… So yeah, I just… jumped. Literally. Although, now that you mentioned it, two pants and three shirts might not be enough for a month… Not to mention the couple of Galleons in my pocket. _

\- _And you will have to go back home before school to get your stuff anyway, _she added_. You're so dead._

\- _Don't talk about it! It crossed my mind an hour ago while I was on the broom. I'm wetting my pants just to think about it, and it's not the rain this time… But what is done is done, it would just make things worse to go back now. As Father always says: stick to your decision, until you're proven wrong. _

She got up, no, jumped up, and declared.

\- _Well, I'm happy you're here! Come on, I'll show you around!_

It was rather unsettling to see her like that. So… relaxed, comfortable, less serious. It felt almost like another Miranda, but at the same time it made her even more attractive. The Ice Queen might not be so cold, after all, you know.

The house was indeed way bigger than it looked like. More than enough rooms for a Father and his daughter, three bathrooms, two libraries and more. Also, if there was no front yard, the backyard made if for it tenfold. Looks like her father liked exotic tree. Most of them had some kind of magic bubble around, probably to simulate the ideal conditions to get them to grow. There were many flowers as well, perfectly cut grass, and oh surprise, some statues.

\- _I haven't seen any house elves around_, I said where the tour was done_. I'd thought a family like yours would have some._

\- _We do_, she answered. Actually we have four of them. _Wrex, Wreav, who are right now accompanying Father for work, and Wiks and Kirrahe. I sent them both to Spain, to prepare everything for our vacations. I might be a spoiled little girl, _she added with a smile, _but I know how to cook for myself for one dinner, you know! You'll see tonight! I was not expecting guests until tomorrow, but I'll prepare you something worthy of you, Commander Shepard!_

\- _-Ah come on! Don't call me that, you know it sounds weird. But I do look forward to it then. I'll help you in any way I can. Speaking of guests: did you receive answers from the others? _

\- _All of them are coming except Mordin. Seems like the kid is not smart without reasons, his parents are making him take summer classes as well, and unlike you, he's a good kid who does not jump out of the window!_

\- _Shut up!_

We talked and laughed for most of the afternoon. She quickly cooked some carbonara pastas for dinner, which were indeed quite a treat, and we kept talking about everything while drinking one of her father's bottle of French red wine.

\- _That will teach him to leave me alone at home_! she laughed, slightly sloshed.

It felt good, although unusual, to be allowed to be just regular teens again, away from the darkness of the upcoming war, away from Umbridge and her Squad, away from Snape and House points. For a moment, I felt jealous of Grunt.

\- _He's life feels so simple_, I explained. _From where I stand at least. A couple of beatdowns here and there, friends and drinks, pain and happiness. He doesn't care about anything he doesn't want to care about. The freedom of simplicity, I guess. _

\- _I think you speak without knowing, _she said simply_. Maybe he envies your life. The challenge, the responsibilities, the weight of your own future on your shoulders. _

She lied down against me, her head on my shoulder.

\- _You guys changed everything. You, Ashley, Joker… The Siblings. It might have started as some kind of teen rebellion, but you changed everything for me._

I stopped breathing. She was so close, smelling of wine, her breath burning the skin of my arm under the summer heat that settled after the afternoon's storm. She knew I liked her. I mean, I even confessed some months ago! She could not have forget it, so it probably meant that she was giving me some hints! An opportunity to do something!

Bite me. She had fallen asleep. Turned out that the Snake Empress could not handle two glasses of wine…

She was not that drunk, as she woke up when I tried to lift her up to get her to her giant bedroom.

\- _No need_, she whispered_. But I'll go to sleep indeed, sorry. Those have been some very tiring days. Feel free to pick whatever guest room you want. I'll see you tomorrow John. _

She disappeared in the stairs, the last bits of her delicious perfume still sticking to my clothes. Those vacations were going to be hard on me.

I picked the first bedroom and lied down looking at the ceiling. The thought of my parent's wrath crossed my mind and made me shiver. I felt like a complete idiot and fell asleep somewhere around that time.

* * *

On the next morning, I was greeted downstairs by the smell of eggs and bacon, a truly divine smell at any time of the day, if you ask me. The two house elves had returned and were serving the dish to a pale-looking Miranda.

\- _Hey_, she said faintly. Sit down. _Wiks will serve you a plate_.

\- _Are you alright_? I asked while taking a sit at the table. _You look terrible!_

\- _Hey! That's no way to talk to a lady! No, don't worry I'm alright. Just had a rough night, I should not drink that much._

\- _But, you had only…_

The loud sound of the plate dropped in front of me and the disapproval in the elf's eyes stopped me before I could finish the sentence.

\- _Wiks, be polite with our guests. He's merely concerned for my health._

\- _Wiks is very sorry, Mistress, _she said with her eyes toward the ground_. Wiks will iron her hands as punishment_.

I looked at Miranda eyes opened wide. What in the heavens was that?

\- _No need, Wiks,_ she said like it was nothing_. There's no harm done._

\- _Yes, I added. _Please don't do that_. And forgive me if I have been disrespectful toward your mistress!_

It was the first time that I've seen elves out of Hogwarts, and the experience was rather unsettling. But well, as Miranda explained to me, it is what it is, to the great displeasure of Miss Granger.

Miranda indeed looked much better after the meal and a shower, and we went on a quick walk in the fields nearby, burning under the sun that replaced the clouds of the previous days. During the afternoon, our friends started to arrive, by broom or by Floo. First Garrus and Tali, together, then Liara, Kaidan, Ashley, Jacob and Joker just before dinner time. The summer had just started for real, and oh boy was it going to be fun.

Short jump forward to the next morning. While I was packed with only my stupid little bags, all of them, especially the girls, had a least one big travel suitcase, if not two. Gathered in the backyard, all doors of the house locked and the elves already in Spain ready to welcome us with a Mediterranean breakfast, we were impatiently waiting for Miranda's permission.

\- _Ready_, she said, her hands hovering over that old-looking frying pan. _One, two, three! _

Pouf. One very weird sensation that made me want to throw up all my past hundred previous meals and here I was, already being cooked by the morning sun of the South, my feet in the sands, ten meters away from the magnificent blue sea.

\- _Awesome_! Screamed Liara in joy, already running fully dressed in the water. _It's not even cold! It's 9am and the water is warm! This is so perfect! I love you Miranda! _

The blue-eyed girl chuckled slightly and blushed.

\- _Waouh_, _guys_, said Joker in awe. _Look at that house!_

If their mansion in Britain looked rather modest, for a mansion, this house by the beach was a two-floor, white palace. The kind you would see on advertisements for luxury vacations in Hawaii. The first floor was almost nothing but a giant glass, through which you could see the giant dining table and the living room from the beach.

\- _It was my mother's favorite place_, declared Miranda. _Welcome to Lawson Island!_

As she explained to us, we were on the small private island au couple of nautical miles away from Ibiza. Perfectly isolated, protected by many wards and spells, we would be left alone as much as we wanted. The chimney in the living room was connected to a safe location in Ibiza, and also to another one in Barcelona and who allow us to go visit whenever we would like.

The palace was big enough for fifteen guests, with its five bedrooms upstairs, the giant couch and the two massive bathrooms. Inside was waiting for us the giant breakfast that was promised to us. Liara, her feet naked and covered in wet sand, apologize for already messing up the immaculate floor, but all filth disappeared in a snap from Kirrahe's fingers before she finished her sentence. On the table were French pastries, Spanish delicatessen, different kinds of bread, cooked fishes, smoked salmon, bacon, eggs, cakes, and a wide variety of juices.

\- _This is paradise_, whispered Joker, already drooling.

We feasted like kings, until way past lunch time, and spent the whole afternoon dozing off on the beach, under the sun for some or in the shadows of the palm trees for others (Tali and me). We fought in the water, splashing each other, or contesting for strength. We laughed likes kids, shouted like kids, played like kids. To this day, it is still one of the best day of my life. Magic did not exist. Voldemort and the Death Eaters did not exist. School sure as hell did not exist. They only thing that was real was the sun, the water, and us. Happiness in its purest form. Should I also mention, girls in bikinis? Liara opted for something rather classic, blue as the sea and her hair. Ashley, on the other side, wore something white that was quite daring, to the joy of the boys, a joy she seemed to be happy to trigger. Tali, I don't know where she found something like that, but she had a grey one-piece swimsuit that ended as a large hood over her head, protecting her from the sun. Finally, Miranda, well… she was Miranda. Shining so bright in her green outfit, she could eclipse the goddamn sun.

We boys did not look half bad either, if I can say so. Garrus looked even taller with his shirt off, and not as thin as before. Jacob even fell in the "super jacked" category. His muscle under his black skin were rather impressive, and I'm pretty sure that he had chosen a white boxer very much on purpose, what a show off. On a less positive note, I think Joker felt a bit uncomfortable. As he was not able and allowed to train with us, his body looked thin and fragile, almost sick. He quickly decided to put a shirt back on, pretending to shield himself from the sun.

* * *

Came the evening, and another feast. It was probably too much, since we were already full from the morning's buffet, but this whole paella stuff looked way too good to pass on. Smartly, Miranda had given the instruction to have only two bottles of wine ready for us. After all, we were all in our sixteens, it would have been easy to just get trashed, but she knew better, despite the protestations of Joker and, surprisingly, Liara as well.

Later on, as the night had fallen, we were all lying on the beach, looking at the stars like they do in the muggle movies.

\- _Does it feel different from the night sky of Hogwarts_? asked Ashley.

\- _Not really. _

\- _Maybe a bit less clear I would even say._

\- _Except that there isn't a single cloud. That's almost scary._

\- _By the end of the month, you will miss the British clouds, promised Miranda with a laugh. _

Joker then abruptly sit up.

\- _Okay guys. Time to get serious and talk business now! _

We looked at him with our eyebrows raised.

\- _The sleeping arrangements!_ he declared with a big smile_. I spotted four bedrooms for two and one for three. And the couch. How do we work this out? _

\- _I don't know,_ said Miranda with a hint of worries_. I thought it would be something like you, Jacob and Garrus in the three beds rooms, Liara with Tali, Ashley and I, and Kaidan with John._

\- _Sure, but where's the fun in that?_

His grin was devilish. You don't need much to know what he was thinking about.

\- _Oh no,_ protested Liara.

\- _Oh yes_! he said_. Let's mix things up! Have some fun! _

\- _Yeah_, added Kaidan. _We already spend way too much time together in the dorms at Hogwarts!_

Miranda sighed heavily, but she could not hide that smile.

\- _Wiks_! She called. _Bring an empty bottle._

With a light*pop*, the elf appeared next to her, holding a perfectly clean glass bottle that hold the morning's orange juice, and disappeared the same way half a second later, leaving the bottle in her mistress hand.

\- _Let's go, then,_ she said, handing the bottle over to him.

With a wide grin, I tried to make it spin in the sand. Obviously, it did not work very well.

\- _What are you doing_? asked Tali.

\- _I'm trying to determine who is going to sleep in the three-bed room! But I cannot make this damn thing spin!_

Ashley sighed.

\- _Give it to me, dumbass!_

She throw it in the air side-spinning, not high, but just enough so it could make a few turns. It landed softly on the sand, without a bounce, pointing at Garrus. He stayed silent, as often, but lowered is head to floor with an exaggerated look of despair. Joker jumped in, picking up the bottle and threw it as Ashley just did. It fell, bounced one, and then pointed at Kaidan

\- _Aha_, said the Slytherin. _If he's as quiet in his sleep as when he's awake, I will sleep like a baby for the whole month! _

But then the bottle pointed at Tali, who jumped out of joy, her hood falling down and revealing her beautiful black hair.

\- _Damn_, regretted Alenko. I_ went from quiet nights to sleepless vacations… Damit, Destiny, why are you so cruel to me?_ He yelled in exaggeration, pointing his fists as the sky as we all laughed and mocked him. _Don't worry guys, I'll give you some alone time! But I get to pick the next ones_!

He grabbed the bottle from Joker's hands, and tossed it. First was picked Ashely, then Jacob.

\- _Oh, I'm in luck, it seems,_ she crooned while setting her arms around his neck and quickly biting his earlobe.

Jacob choked and starting coughing, much to everyone's hilarity, before blushing with his eyes wide in incomprehension. I laughed wholeheartedly, despite not really recognizing this pin-up, seducing Ashley. It was not like her, but to be honest, I never knew her out of school. So there was only Miranda, Liara, Joker and I left, and while I was still deep in my thoughts about Ashley, my name was picked up, and my heart jumped inside my chest. One chance out of three… Joker looked me deep in the eyes, knowing full well what I was wishing for. Kaidan got the bottle ready, commenting the suspense like a Lee Jordan commenting a Quidditch game.

Liara.

Damit.

I did my very best to hide my disappointment, which was not really hard, as every eyes were on Jokers who was gloating like peacock, his hands raised to the sky.

\- _Yes_! he screamed. _The Joker is the new king! Bow to me, Shepard, bow to me! _

He approached Miranda, giving his hand and taking an aristocrat tone.

\- _My dear Lady, I hereby pledge to take the greatest care of you, if you would be so kind to have me._

\- _Oh my Lord, I do consent,_ she laughed back, taking his hand, imitating his tone. _Should we retire into our royal suite, leaving those filthy peasants to tend with their… peasant business?_

\- _I thought you would never ask! If you please…_

They started walking toward the house, arm in arm, not without a very teasing wink from Miranda to my attention.

\- _Don't worry_, whispered Liara, sitting on my lap, her arms reaching out over my neck. _I'll take good care of you._

Her blue hair in my face and her scent reaching my nose made my world spin. Had she always been this.. Hypnotizing?

As a few teases started to rain down on us, Garrus, usually so quiet and introverted, grabbed the bottle in a flash, sprinted to the see, filled it, and came back in a rush to spill in over the "royal couple" before they entered the house, triggering screams, laughs and curses.

Well past midnight, we finally went to bed. Our bags ( in my case, my only bag) had already been brought to our rooms according to the arrangements decided by the bottle.

\- _Turn around, or I'll scream_, said Liara with a smile.

I sighed, turned toward the door, and then hit my head in a hard facepalm. I had forgotten my PJs ! Leaving the bedroom for the living room, I called our for the elves.

\- _Yes, master Shepard_? asked Kirraeh. _How can I serve you_?

I explained my troubles, and he just popped out of nowhere. I waited for a couple of minutes, unsure of what to do, but just when I decided to go back to my room, I popped back, holding a pile of silky blue clothes.

\- _Mistress Lawson said you were allowed to use the master's night clothes,_ he declared. _They might be a little big for Master Shepard, but this is all that is available in this house. If Master Shepard wishes so, we could get other clothes from the mansion, but that will require a bit more time._

\- _No, that's perfect. Thank you very much, Kirraeh!_

I went to change in the bathroom, to give Liara as much privacy as possible. Damned be Joker and his idea. I mean, I would have kissed him on the mouth if I ended up sharing bed with Miranda, and I didn't have to complain much, but still…

When I came back in the room, feeling a bit weird in this, indeed too big, super expensive, silk pajamas. Liara was already in bed, looking at me straight into my eyes, as lustful gaze on her face.

\- _Shepaaaard. Come and join me!_

I must have looked like a complete fool with my jaws opened to the floor, because she burst out laughing.

\- _Oh man! You should have seen your face! That was so worth it! Alright, come here. Don't worry, I'm not going to bite. _

\- _You sure?_

\- _Yeah, don't worry. The bed is big enough for three people at least. But you better not snore!_

I lied down, turning my back to hers, and waited for my brain to black out.

**A/N : Hello everyone! I was planning to write a light-hearted chapter, mix between teenage drama and the Citadel DLC, before going into the darker 2nd part of the story. Turned out way bigger than expected, so i split the chapter in two.**  
**Enjoy! **


	17. Last teenage summer, PART 2

**Chapter 16 : Last teenage summer, PART 2**

On the second day, we decided not to let ourselves go too much, and to go back to a regular physical training. We had no magic nor potions available, so sparring was out of question, but just running on the sand would be a good start, coupled with a bit of shadow boxing.

We quickly discovered that the island was rather small, as it took barely ten minutes to do a full circle around it, but it was fun nonetheless. The morning sun on our backs, the feet in the not-so-cold water, made the exercise surprisingly enjoyable. This two hours long routine quickly took a central place in our summer days.

The giants feasts of the first day also tuned down a bit, to more balanced meal, and a lot of Mediterranean specialties. I've tasted so many fishes, cooked in so many ways that I would have never dared to even imagine. The elves were taking very good care of us, and Miranda always ignored our questions about the provenance of the food, and its costs.

It also quickly became a bit of boring, being cut out of the world. Nothing much to do, except swimming, dozing off under the sun, and pranking each other's. Maybe thanks to the magic of the Clan song, not a single issue occurred between us, but it still slowly became monotonous. So by the end of the first week, during lunch, Miranda decided to take us shopping in Barcelona.

\- _On the house_, she declared. _My treat for the day, enjoy whatever you want! _

A thunder of protests resonated through the living room, but Miranda's smile never worn out, although I'm pretty sure I saw the light in her eyes fading a little. She raised her hands to get some silence

\- _Please listen to me_, she said. _My family is super rich, we all know that. I am very rich. But all those Galleons never made sense to me, until now. Whatever I have, I want to share it with my friend, and use it to please the ones I love. I know you all have your pride, and I thank you for politeness as well. But please, consider this as, I don't know… All your birthday and Christmas presents I missed until know. It would mean a great deal to me, at least just for once_.

There were few people in the world that could buy you expensive stuff and make it sound like you're the one doing them a favor. Miranda was one of them. Joker slowly rose from his seat and limped toward her. He put his hands on her shoulders, and declared.

\- _Very well, my queen. I shall allow you to buy me stuff! For this day only_!

She laughed, wiped out a small tear out of the corner of her eyes. I never thought this would mean so much to her, but it apparently did. That being said, it took a bit more convincing for some people not felling very conformable with this offer, and we finally agreed on a budget per person everyone would feel okay with.

The wizarding neighborhood of Barcelona was actually quite small compared to London's and its Diagon Alley. Except for a couple of shops that sold some standard summer robes and usual trinkets, nothing was really much worth our time.

\- _Let's try the Muggle streets then_, offered Tali under her giant hat. _They often have rather exciting fashions! It could be fun!_

And so we did, and it was a good idea. We indeed had a lot of fun. First we mostly stuck to regular touristic shops, out of curiosity, and watching the ladies tried dozens of cheap jewels, but then, at Jacob's suggestion, we split up.

\- _Meet here in one hour_, he said. _No, two! Girls with girls, boys with boys, and when we meet, all of us need to look different! The one with the worst outfit makes dinner with the elves!_

It was a bet. Turned out that, after changing our Galleons into Muggle money at the local goblin's bank, we had A LOT of it, so we headed for some rich-looking shops, after they gave me a couple of minutes to go and buy some cheap spare clothes, as I was clearly lacking those in my stupid backpack.

As a muggleborn, they trusted me to find the best spot to get some nice looking outfits to impress the girls, so I dragged them to the store of a famous Italian brand. The salesman there looked at us with a hint a disdain mixed with fear, wondering why a bunch of weirdly dressed teens were walking into his place of work.

I showed him a big roll of bills, and said in my very, very approximate Spanish :

\- _Mi amigos y yo, euhm… necessita euhm… nuove ropa ?_

Thankfully, he spoke a very good English, with this cute accent that would make all the girls, and Kaidan, swoon. Reassured by the money we had in or hands, he bent himself in four to help us out.

We used almost everything we had, but it was worth it. We had quite some laughs, trying out some goofy outfits, even the salesman seemed to have some good time with us. Came the rendez-vous time, we were looking dashing.

Garrus had opted for some classical, James Bond style tuxedo. I told him that it was usually reserved for special occasions, like weddings, but he didn't care: he like it too much, especially with the bow tie!

Jacob had opted for a marble-white three pieces summer suits that highlighted his black skin, and the results was astonishing. The red belt that he had picked up really stood out, as his "fantasy touch".

Joker thought that suits and tuxedos were not for him, as he lack of muscles made him look like a "tree branch lost in see of fabric", as he said. So he opted for something more casual, a pair of blue jeans, a white shirt, but especially a leather jacket and some sunglasses that made made him looked like he came straight of the Top Gun movie (which he, obviously, had never heard of).

Kaidan had opted for something very, very colorful. White pants of a fin Egyptian fabric, and shirt with some weird patterns of red, yellow and blue, and a black leather belt.

\- _I'm never wearing any of those stupid black robes they force onto us at school! This looks so good man! I look so good! Muggles really know how to dress, damn!_

At first I wanted to go with something deep blue, with some shoulder patches on it, but when I saw myself in the mirror, I saw my father. No way. Instead I chose a black outfit with white stitching, with buttons on the right side instead of the center. It still looked a bit military, but also way more sophisticated. I loved it.

Of course, after two minutes back in the street, most of us, especially Joker, remembered that the blazing sun of the afternoon was literally cooking us up in our jackets…

When we met the girls back at the rendezvous point, all our jaws dropped, and a janitor could have mopped the floor considering how we were all drooling.

Liara was wearing a very long, slim, cleavageless grey and white robe that went up from her neck to her ankles and wrists. It was very, very high standing, incredibly classy, and aged her all the way up to her twenties.

Ashley's dress was far more revealing. Dark blue with a black pattern around her chest and belly, with thin strings up her shoulders, her cleavage revealed two beautiful silvers necklaces. Even Kaidan gulped.

Tali had kept her large black hat, and had put on a long black dress that covered her shoulders, but revealed a thin line of skin in the breast area that definitively teased Garrus.

And finally, Miranda, well… was Miranda. That red dress must have been made for a gala or something. While the bottom half, rather classical and sober, covered even her feet, the top half was incredible. It looked like a sleeves jacket that went up to her chin, but open in the center with artistic laces covering her breasts and belly button. Long, red, silky mittens covered her forearms up to the elbow. She was truly a queen.

\- _I'll be damn_, muttered Garrus_. I'm not sure this was such a good idea after all…_

\- _Looking good boys! Lean and mean! _

\- _You know what they said about sharp-dressed men, _I answered.

Liara came by me and grabbed me by the arm.

\- _Looking radiant_, I say.

\- _Shepard,_ she said with a smile_. Keep dressing like that, and you'll have to catch me when I swoon._

\- _I might do more than catch you,_ I answered with a wink.

\- _So, who lost the bet then?_ Asked Joker, taking is jacket off again, now that he had shown off.

\- _To be honest_, replied Jacob_, I don't think anyone did_.

\- _Well then, you threw the best, so you lose_, laughed Tali.

\- _Yeah!_

\- _Exactly_

\- _But, but_… stuttered our Gryffindor friend. _But it's… dammit…_

Instead of going back home, we found a nice place by the beach so enjoy some iced tea as the sun was slowly going down, before deciding to go to a restaurant to finish off our last bits of muggle money.

\- _Nevermind for the elves_, said Miranda. _They know what to do with the food, it won't be wasted…_

Of course she took us to the fanciest restaurant we came across… It was a real delight. An evening in another world.

A last stroll on the city's beaches under the nightlights concluded this incredible night. We were all so grateful to Miranda for this gift.

\- _Alright, quick game_, started Joker, always the first to launch this kind of thing. _I thing I can safely say that most of them look better tonight that we ever will look again. So given that we have now all seen each other at our best, let's choose. If you could pick one from our group, who would you like to hook up with? _

\- _Easy_, laughed Tali. _I pick Garrus._

\- _And I pick Tali,_ he chuckled.

\- _You're no fun, groaned our trickster. I would pick Ashley._

\- _Of course you would_, she simpered. _Who wouldn't when I'm dressed like that? Let's see, the choice is rather dire… Maybe Shepard. Oh wait no, I pick Jacob!_

He blushed in the dark.

\- _Don't flatter yourself, boy,_ she teased_. It's only because we already share a room_._ It's way easier this way._

\- _Oh yeah? Then I pick Miranda. At least I don't settle for easy._

She punched him in the shoulder under the teasing "ooooh" from the group.

\- _I'd pick Miranda as well_, I declared.

My heart was pounding hard in my chest. To me it felt like I was finally confessing (for the second time). But when she smiled at me, there was defiance and trickery in her eyes.

\- _Jo-ker,_ she said slowly, looking straight into my eyes.

\- _Ooooh!_

\- _Ooooh!_

\- _Shepard you have some tough competition!_

\- _Of cours_e, he said. _A Commander could never compete with a king! _

\- _You're no king, just a buffoon,_ I snarled back, trying hard to hide my disappointment and wounded ego behind the joke.

\- _Well, I'd choose Kaidan_, cut Liara to prevent a friendly fight.

\- _And I would chose Jacob_, he said bluntly.

The dark-skinned teen stopped in his track, frozen by surprise. Tali and Garrus also had their mouth wide opened, while Ashley's lips curled into a grin.

\- _So, you mean…_ attempted Joker.

\- _Yeah, I'm gay. Shepard and Ashley already knew, but I guess I could have tell you as well. Sorry about that_.

He scratched his head, obviously uncomfortable.

\- _I…_ he continued. _You know. Didn't want you guys to think different of me. _

\- _Well, I do_, declared Jacob, snapping out of his stupor_. I think you're braver than I'd thought, and I'm re-evaluating whever Slytherin was indeed the right House for you, when you obviously have the courage of a Gryffindor._

\- _I do as well_, added Joker. _I really thought you would have better taste than that. Jacob, seriously? I am the obvious choice here!_

\- _Shut up_, laughed Tali, slapping the back of his head again.

* * *

Later that night, when we were finally home, exhausted but happy, I lied down next to Liara. We were discussing some random thoughts when suddenly she stopped.

\- _Do you hear that? _

Indeed I heard something weird. That seemed to come from the other side of the wall. From Ashley and Jacob's room, next to ours.

\- _Is that… moaning?_ She asked again, her eyes widening. _Oh my god yes it is! They're doing it! They're doing it right now! They're totally doing it! Ash and Jacob!_

The moaning got louder by the minute, and Liara's face slowly turned paler under the moonlight. Even after they were done, she was curled up in a ball, almost shaking.

\- _Are you alright?_ I whispered.

She did not answer, but slowly shook her head in the dark.

\- _What is going on? Do you need anything? Are you hurt?_

\- _Is it… Would it be too much to ask to take me in your arms?_

\- _No problem,_ I said as I moved through the giant bed to spoon her.

The house a fell silent, so silent that we could hear the waves from the beach through the opened windows. My nose brushed her hair by accident and the scent of blueberry shampoo submerged me. I put my arm over, pressed her against me while trying to keep as much of the thin summer sheet between us. A slight rasp in her breathing let me think that she had been silently crying, or at least trying not to cry. She pressed herself against me a bit more.

\- _Want to talk about it?_ I asked.

\- _I'm fine_, she said shakily.

\- _Please don't lie to me. If you don't want to talk it's alright, but no lies_.

She whispered a protest and went silent.

\- _My father was killed during the first war_, she finally said, _so I grew up with my mother alone. She had the habit of having various men coming over at home for, you know. Company. And money. Ever since I've been what, eight maybe, I've heard her and her random partners through the walls. It wasn't really a big deal, until one of them decided that my mother was not enough. A muggle, that my mother had picked up in Merlin's know what bar. He was big, tall, and super drunk. I can still sniff the smell of Firewhiskey if I just close my eyes. _

My arms tighten against her skin. Rage and hate started to run through my veins slowly, like a river of magma descending the volcano's slopes.

\- _I can still smell him. I can still see that ugly thing dandling between his naked legs. I still hear the sound of my pajamas getting ripped. I can still see him punching my mother down when she tried to stop him, and I can still feel the burn on my cheek when he slapped me._

\- _Did he…_

\- _No. He tried to, but my mother got to her wand just in time, although he almost choked me out when I fell on me unconscious. _

I let out a sigh of relief.

\- _Where is he now? Muggle prison?_

\- _Don't know, don't care. I know it feels like I'm overreacting, it was only once, my mother never brought any other men after that, but the sound of it, the thought of it, it just… triggered bad memories._

\- _That's not overreacting, Liara. That's a trauma. Not something you can hide under a rug and just forget. _

\- _I know, I know. But please, don't tell anyone. Especially them both. I don't want them to think that they can't have fun because of me…_

\- _Okay, I won't tell any…_

\- _Promise!_

\- _Yes. I promise. Nobody will know. But in exchange, if you ever feel like you need to talk, you come to me, okay? _

\- _Deal. Thank you. I feel better now._

I understood that as a not so subtle hint to let her go and finally try to sleep. I rolled on my back and moved away. She didn't move.

* * *

The first week flew into the second one, and into the third. The sun was always the same, without a single cloud to change from one day to the other. The water was always the same temperature, our days always the same, and we loved it, despite the relative boredom that settled in. Joker often came out with some other stupid games, like "what did you think when you first met me", some card games with silly challenges, etc. We visited Ibiza one day, partied a couple of nights over there as well.

Every other days, the elves brought some letters from England, written by our friends, parents, or Hogwarts itself when the list of furniture for the sixth year finally came in, bringing us back to the reality of those ending vacations. The only letter I received from my parents was surprisingly forgiving, my mother mentioning her hopes for a gentle weather and good times among friends. Only the last sentence, "we will talk more when you're back home", made me shiver.

As an omen of this soon-to-come travel back to Britain, this Thursday was grey, clouded, heavy. A storm was drawing near, and by the end of the afternoon, thunder ripped the heavens asunder.

\- _Damn_, _looked at that guys_, awed Joker, looking through the glass door.

Lightning was falling into the sea like fishing tridents thrown by the gods themselves. The waves were bigger, covered in a small pellicle of white foam, and the wind was shaking the palm tree with all its might.

\- _Yes_, confirmed Miranda. _Storms by the seaside are really impressive. There's no risks here, the island is protected, and the Mediterranean sea is rather calm, even during a storm. It would be very different if we were on the Atlantic coast. _

The rumble of the thunder shook the walls, and attracted me like a moth to a flame.

\- _What's going on?_ asked me Liara, picking up on my mood.

\- _Nothing. Just… So much power, you know. I feel it calling for me, like I could grab it in the palm of my hands, and in the meantime being swallowed whole in it. This is just a weird sensation. _

\- _Aren't you getting weirder by the day, Commander_? Teased Joker putting his hand on my shoulder.

\- _Stop calling me that!_

* * *

Thunder had gone away for a couple of hours when we finally went to bed. A quick cold shower to wash the sweat away, and I headed for our room without a single clue of the surprise that was actually waiting for me in there.

When I turned toward the bed after closing the door, I froze, looking at Miranda in her silky, greenish nightgown, sitting on the edge of the bed. She was blushing, looking at the floor in embarrassment. I could imagine her naked skin just underneath, almost taste it in my mind.

\- _Let me guess_, I said when I finally got my voice back. _Liara and Joker? _

\- _Yeah… Although it didn't take too much convincing. _

Her smile was back, as daring and radiant as ever.

\- _I thought that Joker was your king,_ I joked.

She was on me in a flash, and pushed me against the door. I could smell the scent of the storm on her skin, mixed with whatever fruit her shampoo was made of.

\- _I grew bored of him. Moreover, a queen can get whatever she wants._

The fire is her eyes had cleansed away any shyness and awkwardness. I felt the heat of the clan song's magic when she applied her lips against mine. I sensed its power blazing when her tongue met my tongue, and it all disappeared as my mind went blank when she took her top off and pressed her chest against me.

I can't remember how or when she dragged me to bed, but I can clearly remember the heat of her skin. I forgot about the flashes of pain or shame, I just remember the pleasure and the desire. The clothes on the floor. The delight of her voice moaning in the pillows. The heavens of her eyes in the dark. I barely recall how awkward and hesitant it might have been, but I do remember thinking it was absolutely incredible that both my first kiss and my first time here with her. I remember her saying that she was glad she finally found the courage to do what she had be wanting to do since we arrived, and how we fell asleep in each other's arm. At least, before she pushed me away because she was too hot.

* * *

On the next morning, nobody said a thing, except Joker who gently slapped me in the back.

\- _You're welcome, Commander._

\- _Shut up, Joker._

But my grin was gigantic.

**A/N : Many things in this chapter are directly inspired by The Citadel DLC, more specifically the Casino scene. Did you pick it up? =D**


	18. 6th year was just the interlude

**Chapter 17 : 6th year was just the interlude**

But maybe I'm just bothering you with those teen stories, my apologies. I know this was not the subject of our discussion here. I don't know, I just like remember those good times, diving down the past and let myself drown in it. It feels good, you know, as long as you ignore the sting in your heart.

So anyway, what's to say about that sixth year now? I guess I could start with the beginning: my way back home. I was scared shitless the whole trip, I was sure my father would just kill me. Instead he just slapped the hell out of me, once, like I was a goddamn piñata, and declared:

\- _You do that once again, tomorrow or in twenty years, and I will nail your feet to the floor of your room. Is it clear?_

\- _Yes father._

And it was all. I met my friends again the following day in Diagon Alley to buy the stuff we needed, and then in the Hogwarts Express on our way back to our second to last year in school.

This new year introduced Professor Slughorn, our new potion master. I don't need to tell you the uproar in Slytherin's dorm when we found out that our Head of House was now in charge of the DADA instead of Umbridge. The man was rather lovely to be honest, and a fairly good teacher, that made Potions classes quite enjoyable, which was an incredible turn of event. The defense classes, on the other side, were far more sinister. Better than what we had with Umbridge or Lockhart, for sure, but really… Sinister. Considering that Snape wanted this position for years, you would have guessed that he would have put a bit more heart into that. And you would have been wrong.

Anyway, academically speaking, this year was just… normal. Preparation for seventh year and the NEWTs, classes and homework, boring teachers and interesting ones. For once, nothing much out of the ordinary stood out.

For the Siblings of Metal, though, we took things a notch higher. We kept doing things like the previous year: meeting for potion "extra classes" on Tuesdays mostly, with the approval of Snape, and the support and advice of Slughorn at some point. He showed us a couple of variant of the potions we were already practicing, and then some potions that could improve strength, speed or focus for short amount of times. I don't know how we came to work on those without actually raising any suspicions, but he seemed just so interested in showing this extra-curriculum stuff. We even tried to brew the Felix Felicis potion, the liquid luck, despite his shy protestation, but even with his guidance we failed miserably, three times, before giving up. It's a sign of maturity to recognize and admit when you're in over your head.

And then, the trainings in the Room of Requirements. We wanted to keep this secret: it could only serve us, and history would prove us right on this. The first months, we just practiced on what we had learn the previous year. But by Christmas time, I started asking the Room for weapons. Not swords or axes, and definitely no guns, but knives. Long needles. American fists. The kind of things we could easily hide in our robes our pockets. I showed them how and where to strike, how to disable, more or less permanently, and finally, despite their protests, how to kill.

Don't get me wrong, I didn't want to turn them into killers, or even soldiers. It's not like I was a hardened assassin myself, I had nothing but theoretical practice, which was in itself already more than crazy. But I thought it would be important for them to know, just in case, and especially to know how to protect oneself against it. We learnt slowly but surely : we started with blunt weapon to lower the risks, for a couple of months, then upgraded to real ones, and by the end of the year, we were practicing fight with a weapon in one hand, and our wand in the other.

Potions were needed more than once. Nasty bruises, deep cuts, couple of broken bones here and there, it became kind of a habit to have at least an injury per session, as a proof of the new power our young adult's bodies now held. But it never slowed us down, we never had any other fall out like the previous year. The magic between us only became stronger, our bonds tighter.

Our magic also grew very strong during this year. I guess this was the real, final year of puberty, and it felt like we unlocked our real potential. By the end of the year, all of us could hold the Draining Charm for at least fifteen minutes on a bad day, and Miranda even exploded her record with thirty two minutes. Our Stunning Spell became so strong it could shake the walls, our shields turned into fortresses.

It became clear, however, that resisting the Stupefy just by sheer will was limited only to weakly casted spells. No matter the amount of focus, anger, or resilience concentrated on our mental defenses, the spells always went through when it was just slightly powered up. I can't say that I was not disappointed, but sometimes the rules of magic are just unbendable.

* * *

Thanks to Joker, we had learned that the D.A had stopped meeting, since it was not needed anymore according to them, but that Harry Potter seemed to have some kind of private lessons, with Dumbledore himself, rumor had it. I asked Joker and Mordin to keep a close eye on him and whatever information they could find interesting, but the truth was, nothing was really happening. We knew the world outside was getting darker by the day, we knew that Voldemort himself was risen from the dead, and yet… It was just business as usual. Nothing was happening. To a certain extent at least, because when the news of the death of Hannah's mother, or when Katie Bell was cursed, a wind of cold, deep, solid anger blew across the whole castle. Anger, Hate, Resentment, with capital letters. Emotions that solidify the hearts of the victims and the resolve of the members of the D.A. But still, nothing was really happening.

On the Slytherin's side, however, we quickly noticed the change in Draco Malfoy's behavior. He was not walking the Common Room as if he owned the place anymore, matter of fact, he was barely in it! He seemed to have cut ties with his "friends" and spent most of his time alone, when he was not completely out of sight. Over the months, he became paler, thinner, looked almost sick. Now we know why, don't we, but then, even Miranda started to worry for him.

\- _He's not looking like himself_, she said sometime in February.

\- _Who cares,_ shrugged Kaidan. _He's a jerk._

\- _Yeah but a dangerous one. Don't you want to know what he's up to? At least just to make sure it's not going to come back and bite us in the arse?_

\- _Even his goons have no idea… What do you want to do? Tail him? _

Actually, we tried, a couple of times. But we always ended up losing him. We had the suspicion that he was actually using the Room of Requirement as well, but could never prove it. It was nothing short of a miracle that we actually never crossed path or fell upon each other. It all became much clearer that he was indeed up to something when he ended up in the infirmary, badly wounded, some time in early May. But by then, it was much too late for the Siblings to intervene. We didn't see it coming.

But maybe I'm going too fast. I guess what you want are the details. The juicy stuff, the crust of the story. So maybe let's give you some.

Tali and Garrus spent the whole year together, there's not much more to say about it. Their teenage crush turned into real, pure love, one we could almost see with the naked eye when they were practicing with each other.

Garrus and I became closer and closer as well. AS friends, I mean, don't get some weird ideas. Sometimes, we snuck out of our dorms just to hang out outside, or snatch a bottle in the kitchen to have a little taste of the strong stuff. We spent a lot of time talking, about everything. Mostly girls.

Speaking about girls, I guess you wonder how things went between Miranda and I. Well sorry to disappoint you: nothing happened. On the very first day, in the Hogwarts Express, we isolated ourselves in an empty wagon, and while I was hoping to feel the heat of her skin against the palms of my hands, under her black hoodie, she allowed me nothing but a quick taste of her lips.

\- _John, we need to talk_, she said.

Her voice was cold and distant, it instantly brought me back to earth, filling my heart with fear.

\- _Listen, I like you, you know that. And I loved the moments we shared in Spain. But none of that can happen here. We can't be a couple. We can't be seen as more than friends. And we sure as hell can't have sex anymore._

\- _What…? Wait, what? What are you talking about? _

She sighed heavily.

\- _I guess I own you an explanation. Look, as I said, I like you, and if I could be with you, I would. But things are not that simple! I'm deeply ashamed to say this, but… you're muggleborn, Shepard. And even if I don't give a crap, my father will. And even if he doesn't, his friends and his enemies will. They will use it against_ him.

Shock and anger took over my brain. I tried to let her finish talking, but this was harder than I'd thought.

\- _You have to understand that in the last war, my father managed to keep our family relatively out of danger, by staying out of the Dark Lord's path. But if word gets out that his daughter is dating a muggleborn, things might not be this easy… I can't add this on top of every else, not now, not until this is figured out._

I thought I understood, even though disappointment was tearing my heart piece by piece. But then she added:

\- _That's not all. You already said last year that, in Slytherin, we're hiding behind enemy lines. I don't want to put an extra target on your head. The fact that we're friends might already be too much, but at least the risk is split up between all of us. _

I growled.

\- _I can take care of myself…_

\- _I know! I know you can, but this is not something I want! I don't want to have to worry about you, about us, more than I already do. I just want to focus on my studies, and our training. So please, please, don't make this harder than I has to be. I'm sorry if you don't think this is the best thing to do. I'm sorry if you think I'm being selfish, I'm sorry if you think I played_ _you, mislead you. I'm sorry if I have to make you wait, and even sorrier if you don't want to. But I made up my mind, and I will not change it. The only questions that remain is whether you are willing to give me a chance to solve all of this out by the time we're out of Hogwarts, and whether we can still be friends like we were in the meantime._

It was too much to handle, too much to understand, too much to accept. Only instinct took over, and as cheesy as it sounds, my first instinct was love. I loved her, and would accept anything for her. So I just nodded. I nodded, kiss her quickly one last time, and get out of the wagon.

Ironically, a couple of weeks later, I was chatting with Jacob while waiting for the Slughorn to arrive in class, and he mentioned that Ashely "broke up" with him for a similar reason.

\- _She said it was just a fling, and that she wanted to focus on her studies. She had fun, but fun time is over now, and she wants to focus on her grades and training. Can't say I'm not disappointed, but it is what is it is._

He didn't seem as hurt as I had been by Miranda, taking it with philosophy I guess. Maybe he was just not that much into her, and was just having fun as well.

But in the end, neither they nor Miranda and I could stay truly apart, and from times to times, we would found ourselves hidden in a dark corner or a closet, snogging our lives out. Everytime, my Ice Queen would leave with her eyes filled of mix between desire and regret, but with the same gentle smile on her lips. I, on the other end, would fight as hard as I could against the pain ripping my heart opened.

* * *

As I said, in the end, it was nothing more than a regular student year (except for our secret trainings, obviously, but at least you had that picked up, hadn't you?), so I don't have much to tell you. I will not detail every training session, every seconds in the dark closets with my "not-girlfriend", every talks, the meltdown of Liara when she revealed her secret to the whole group, the crush of Kaidan on some Ravenclaw boy. There's no point. In the end, the only thing that mattered, was the last day of June

Just a couple of days before the end of the departure. School was over, the summer days were hot and heavy, sticky, and the air carried a weird sensation of disaster to come. Since nothing had happened so far, all of the Siblings felt the growing apprehension that something bad needed to occur. And it did.

For us, it started with a few whispers in the men's dorm.

\- _Shhh you're making too much noice._

\- _Sorry._

\- _We need to hurry. Father said in his letter than we need to support Malfoy at that time._

\- _I know! Give me a minute._

Grabe and Goyle tried to exit silently, and it was incredible that their heave steps woke up anyone but me. As soon as they were out, I shook Kaidan's shoulder next to me to wake him up, and put my hand on his mouth.

\- _Not a word_, I whispered. _Follow me._

He obeyed without a single objection, and got up. We quickly put our robes on, with nothing but underwear underneath, we sped up to catch them.

They were just about to exit the dungeons when we stopped them.

\- _Hey guys,_ I halted them_. Where are you going at such a late hour?_

Startled, they turned quickly, trying to grab their wands in their pockets.

\- _Whoa Whoa! I_ said raising my hands, despite Kaidan's questioning look. _I was just wondering, no harm! Maybe we could help?_

He exchanged a look, and then Crabbe spilled it out.

\- _It's happening tonight! The Dark Lord's plan to take over Hogwarts! This is the fall of Dumbledore and muggle-loving Potter! _

\- _Dude, _protested Goyle, slapping his arm._ Don't tell him like that!_

Stupid sons of a guns.

In a flash, both Kaidan and I were onto them, knocking them out easily with a hit to the jaw. They fell loudly, awkwardly, against the door.

\- _Go get Ash and Miranda_, I said to him. _Quietly. Now!_

While he left in hurry, I grabbed their wands and hid them behind a painting. We never knew if they could ever prove useful. After barely two minutes, Kaidan came back with the girls, as poorly dressed as us.

\- _What happened_, asked Miranda, already taking her wand out.

\- _Wipe their memory, please. They just told us that Malfoy made his move tonight. I'm not sure what's going on, but they said that they were about to take over Hogwarts. _

\- _Take over… But how ? _

\- _No bloody idea, but this can't be good! Let's go._

I tore one of the green curtain from the wall, and ripped it in four pieces, which I transfigured into black hoodies, as if we were about to rob Gringots with muggles weapons.

\- _Put them on. We don't know what might happen out there, better be cautious._

We had barely stepped outside our dungeons that we started hearing yelling, screams, curses and rumbles that shook the walls.

\- _What the hell… _

\- _Out, _I ordered,_ out!_

We rushed for the main entrance, without any encounters just yet. When our nose finally smelt the fresh air of the summer night, fear froze our heart. The darkness of the sky was lit up by the cursed, hellish green of the Death Mark floating in the sky, above the astronomy tower. The Skull, the Snake pouring out of his mouth, for the first time that I saw it, I thought it was actually more impressive and terrifying that anything I had read about it.

\- _No…_ begged Ashely in a whisper.

\- _Bollocks. Siblings, keep your hoods on, let's go to the tower! Keep an eye out for the others, and watch each other's back!_

We ran inside, and noticed the screams we getting more intense, the sounds of battle clearer.

\- _Dammit. Let's go, this way! _

Just two steps after a turn in direction of the Astronomy Tower, and a greenish spell flew my way. Instinct taking over, I rolled forward, dodging the cast. I heard Miranda casting her stunning spell behind me. Just in from of me, a shadow had taken form, and it blocked Miranda's spell with apparent difficulties. It tripped backward, and I ran forward and reached it before it could aim again. It was a man, wearing a weird white mask, taller man me, but thinner that a twig. I grabbed his wrist, and pivoted, pushing on his shoulder and dragging him to the floor. He fell forward, with a surprised exclamation that turned into a scream of pain when I shattered his arm. Kaidan reached me and stood in protective position while I finished my opponent with a blow to the jaw, knocking him out.

\- _Who the hell was that_ ? he asked.

\- _Stop asking questions, I don't know! Let's keep moving_!

I was about to say that I was expecting more of them on the way, but I was cut out by a barrage of spells. Four new masked figured appeared in front of us and cornered us without letting us a single chance to counter-attack. We dodged and block, powering up our Shielding Charms, but for the first time in two years, we were on the defensive, unable to do anything but trying not to get hit. I heard one of then yell the most feared incantation.

\- **_Avada Kedavra!_**

I was very lucky that my instinct were to fall flat on the floor to dodge, instead of trying to block it. I heard the stone crushing behind me, a few rubbles falling on my hood.

\- **_Stupefy!_**

\- **_Stupefy!_**

\- **_Stupefy!_**

\- **_Stupefy!_**

Four blood-red spells flew from the right, hidden to me by the corners of stone of the corridor. The magic swept them away, shoving them with force against the walls of our school. I got back in my feet, panting, watching at the tall silhouette that appeared in front of us.

\- _Who the fuck are you?_ yelled Garrus, Tali and Liara watching his back.

I quickly took my hood off.

\- _Garrus! That's us! Get that wand down, it's us!_

He sighed of relief, but the girls did not let them guard down. My Slytherins friends caught their breath, Ashley inspecting her torn robe.

\- _It was too close…_

\- _How did you get found us? _Asked Kaidan

\- _We did not. We just heard screams and spells, and some of the Hufflepuff from the D.A just rushed out._

\- _Same for Lovegood and Cho Chang in Ravenclaw. We did not expect to find… Death Eaters?_

\- _Looks like it_, I confirmed. _Their mark is above the Astronomy Tower. Crabbe and Goyle said they were going to take down Dumbledore and Potter tonight._

\- _Damit! The Gryffindors!_ exclaimed Ashley. _Jacob!_

She ran, and we followed, knowing full well it was pointless to ask her to stop. The way I say it, I make it sound like we were battle-forged soldiers, reacting quickly with training and experience, without hesitation whatsoever. But the truth is, we were scared as hell. Even I, who was way more trained than any of the Siblings, had trouble keeping my wand in my hand because I was shaking so much. I had never seen real combat before, and even if this looked more like skirmishes than a battlefield, I could not but terrified, and amazed, at the thought of what Potter and his friend might have faced the previous years at the Ministry. Miranda was as pale as a ghost, Kaidan was looking in every corner at every step, like a madman. Liara had tears at the corners of her eyes, and was obviously trying very hard to keep them from flowing down her cheeks. Only Garrus seemed calm, focused and determined, angry even, maybe.

We didn't see any opponents on our way, but we noticed traces of fights, even traces of blood on a wall. Scared student curled up in the floor in terror. We witnessed a couple of unknown adults fighting against the masked invaders, which would later prove to be the Order of the Phoenix. Thankfully, we did not have to go all the way to the Gryffindor's tower. Somewhere around the second floor, we stumble across a real battlefield. Ginny Weasley was fighting against a masked figured, dodging left and right some Cruciatus Curse. We saw MacGonagall and Remus Lupin (what the hell was he doing back there?) double-dueling against four people.

Malfoy. Snape. Never saw them running faster than that, some goddamn speedsters I tell you! They rushed past the battle, unharmed, getting down the stairs 3 steps by 3 steps, almost falling over every two seconds.

Just a short moment after, we heard the Impemendieta Jinx and saw a body flying across the corridor, smashing against a wall. Potter appeared, sweating bullets, and helped the little Weasley girl up, before running again, pursuing Malfoy and Snape, it seemed. He looked so…enraged. Berserk. I was about to turn around and follow him when I heard Ashley screamed.

* * *

Jacob was lying on the floor, in a pool of blood. Next to him, Mordin was waving his wand. McGonagall, the closest one from them, got distracted by the scream. Her face turned white, but she quickly had to focus back to block another spell, as her opponents were not giving her any rest.

\- _Protect us,_ I screamed.

The Siblings formed a barraged around Jacob, Mordin, Miranda and I.

\- _What happened_? I asked.

\- _He saved me, _sobbed the kid_. I went out with the Crevey brothers, I thought I could help… He followed me, and jumped in front of me when I was about to… to…._

His tears flew twice harder.

\- _What happened to him?_! I asked again, voice cold and focused, while Miranda was using all of her healing spells.

\- _He took down one. The one other there, he pointed at a body lying on the floor. But another spell hit him and he hit the wall. I don't know where it came from._

Miranda confirmed.

\- _He's alive, but bleeding a lot. He had a large cut at the back of his head. He's going to suffer one hell of a headache, but he should be fine I think. But we need to take him down to the infirmary._

\- _Okay! Okay…_

My mind was racing, I was trying to think of a hundred different thing. A spell exploded right above us.

\- _Tali, Liara! Go help McGonagall! Kick their ass, and be careful. Garrus, help me get him up. _

They obeyed without hesitation while we were trying to get Jacob up. He was slowly regaining consciousness thanks to Miranda's magic. With the girls help, the Gryffindor Head of House, and our ex-teacher quickly disposed of their four opponents. They gave them surprised look, but did not have any time to dwell. They nodded a "thank you", and pressed on down the stairs, toward the sound of another battle.

\- _Are they really just… leaving?_ Wondered Liara, astonished.

\- _Looks like it. Seems that we're clear, here. Others need help more than we do. Mordin, where is Joker. Please tell me he's still in your Common Room._

\- _I think he was, when I left…_

\- _Perfect. Now let's get moving. Kaidan, Ashley. Take him and get him to the infirmary. You might find other that need help on your way, to take them with you as well. Tali, Liara, Miranda, you go with them, and you protect them, alright? Garrus, take Kaidan's hood, and come with me._

\- _We're not going with them?_

\- _No. We're not. I saw Malfoy running this way two minutes ago. If he indeed has anything to do with this mess, I want to nail his skin to the wall. Get your hoods back on, and let's go!_

Jacob mumbling some non-sense, trying to walk by himself without success, they took the left corridor, while my partner and I ran down toward the Marble Staircase.

* * *

The Gryffindor's hourglass was bleeding rubies. Garrus sent a worried look to his housemate, Macmillan something, sat against the wall, eyes crying, terror on his face, but did not stop. I saw two young men on the floor, their creepy mask lying next to them. I recognized them from the Slytherin House, they had finished school two or three years before. We saw crushed armors and holes in the walls. And finally, the light of the summer moon hit our eyes. The sky had turned to green under the sinister spell. The few clouds that reflected this deathly color were sometimes lit up by the flashes of some spells, giving an easy direction to follow.

\- _Down there_! I said under the fabric.

Another Impemendieta was shot with Potter's voice.

We ran, and the whole scene felt familiar: it was the same spot where we had faced the Squad the year before. But this time, instead of eight students, we saw two bodies on the ground, and further down the field, Potter dueling Snape, and getting his ass kicked. Not far from there, Hagrid was under heavy fire from a masked figure.

At first it was unclear if those bodies were dead or alive, friend or foes. The white masks on their faces gave it away when we got two steps closer. Garrus stopped me with his right arm in front of me.

\- _Wait…_

The shapes on the floor started to move. If they were indeed Potter's victims, his spells were not strong enough, and they did not stay knocked out for long. His voice shouting spells in the background sounded tired, though angry, and I guessed than Snape would not have much trouble defending against these weaker spells.

\- _The brat_! Grunted a raspy voice under a mask_. I'm going to kill him._

\- _Be my guest if you want to face the Master's wrath_, answered a low female voice. The shape rose from the ground and searched for its wand. _But we can still help that coward Snape. Or kill some other of those damn kids. Master said nothing about Potter's friends._

They took a single, hesitant, stumbling step, still trying to regain the full grasp on their body and conscience, and stopped in front of us. Quickly, with impressive reflexes, they rose their hands in our faces.

\- _Who the fuck are you? Where are your masks?_

The hoods on our faces actually made them think that we were with them! To be honest, I had forgot about it at that point, despite the heat underneath. The question took me by surprise and I was lost for words for a second.

\- _Show us your marks! _yelled the woman, tightening her grip on her wand.

\- _No one among us is this tall, but Greyback…_ muttered the man_. I don't think they're with us, Alecto._

She turned her head to her companion for a brief second, and Garrus used that to plunge under her arm. He grabbed her wrist and try to disarm her in a swift, gracious move, but the man had godlike reflexes, and made his lose balance with an improvised kick to the hip. Garrus tripped and fell on the side, with the man's wand now aiming for him.

\- **_Protego_**! I yelled.

Whatever spell he used, I don't know, I was way too scared for Garrus. A bright flash blinded me for a second when his curse bounced back and threw him backward. Hesitant, the masked woman switch her wands from Garrus to me, and before she reacted, my partner kicked her hand from below and sent her wand flying. Surprised, she rose her head, to try and catch her flying wand.

\- **_Stupefy!_**

I put all my anger and focus in this spell, and the red light practically engulfed her whole. She fell heavily, definitively unconscious this time.

\- _Alecto!_ Screamed the man, getting on his feet for the second time. **_Sectumsempra_**!

I don't really know what this spell was, or how he learnt it, but I would not stick around to find out, and jumped on the side. A sharp, intense, infernal pain submerged my mind, coming straight from my leg. I screamed. Loudly. A quick look shown me that my robes, as my thigh, were deeply cut, I could almost see my bone through the blood and the night, and there was a lot of blood. Panic took over me in a flash, and only the sound of Garrus, pinning down his opponent with unrelenting Stunning Curses, gave me enough focus.

I reached to my wand through the cold grass, and finally grasped it with trembling fingers. I aimed for the bastard, laying on my side, the left hand pressing against the wound to try and stop the flow.

\- **_Stupefy!_**

My spells were weak, with no force nor intent, I felt its costs immensely and the pulse through my body pressed more blood out of me. But it was enough to corner our foe even more. He could now do nothing but use protective spells, while Garrus was marching on toward him.

With each step he looked angrier, with each spell more determined. Finally, the shield broke down, and the Death Eater fell to the ground, panting. The Hufflepuff rushed, and kicked the wand away, then the chin to knock him out.

\- _Fuck!_ He swore, panting as well. _The hell was with this guy?_

\- _Garrus_, I cried out. _Help me!_

Blood was pouring between my fingers, and the pain would not let me breathe. I did not even try to get up, I knew my leg would not allow it. But we had to move! We were sitting ducks on the outside, next to the unconscious bodies of two Death Eaters. If more were to come… I ripped my hood off to breath more easily.

On the back of my mind, I noticed that I was not hearing Potter yelling curses anymore, and that the house of Professor Hagrid was on fire.

\- _We can't stay here_, I stuttered. _Heal me, I can't do it myself. I can't focus. It hurts too much. For heaven's sake it hurts!_

But it would not work. No matter what healing spells my friend would use, the wound would not close, the blood would not stop, and the pain came back palpitating. I bit my lips.

\- _Merlin, nothing is working,_ he raged. _Here, try this_.

He took a small vial of potion from the pocket of his robe, which had luckily survived his fall.

\- _It's Wiggenweld. I saved a couple of vials, just in case_.

I drank it all in one go, familiar with its taste and the cooling sensation flowing through my body. But instead of easing the pain, it just became briefly more intense, pulsing.

\- _Fuck something is not right! _I gritted through my clenched teeth_. It hurts! _

The wound closed itself ever so slightly, however, and the bleeding slowed. I let out a small sight of relief.

\- _Okay it's better now. A bit._

\- _Probably dark magic, I think. We need to get you to the infirmary._

I looked over to the burning house. The flames seemed smaller from here, maybe the fire was getting put out. I could not hear any sound of battle anymore. Maybe Potter was gone, or dead, or whatever. The agony of my leg kept me from caring that much.

\- _Okay_, I said. _Help me out._

* * *

\- _Oh my god! Shepard! What happened_? screamed Liara when I entered the infirmary, limping even worse that Joker, leaving a trail of blood droplets behind me. _Miss Pomfrey! Over here!_

The nurse who was looking over a student in a bed, answered the call by running towards us.

\- _What happens? Dear Lord, this cut looks nasty. Over here, Vakkarian. Put him in this bed. I will look at him in a second_.

Garrus help me to the bed, and while I was lying down, enjoy its softness and comfort way more than I'd have expected, I noticed the grim faces around me. Liara stood by me, and I saw the red in her eyes.

\- _Liara, what is going on? Where is everybody?_

Before she could answered, Mrs Pomfrey came back and tore the rest of my robe around the wound.

\- _My My! How did you get such a wound, Mr Shepard?_

\- _I don't know. A curse, I think. Something I've never heard before_.

She looked closer and sighted heavily.

\- _What's with this curse, this year? A new trend? First Malfoy, now you?_

I rose an eyebrow. Malfoy got hit by the same thing? Was it the reason he was out for so long, couple of weeks ago? Before I could take my thoughts further, she asked.

\- _Did you do something to it, boy? The wound looks half treated._

\- _Tried of couple of healing spells, none worked. I drank some Wiggenweld, it helped a bit with the pain, I guess this is why._

She snorted with disapproval.

\- _You should know better than to just try things on dark magic, boy! You could have made things much much worse! You're lucky the Wiggenweld did not make you lose your leg completely!_

I lowered my head. She was right, you should only use healing spells when you know how you were injured and that the treatment is safe. Sometimes the pain just make you forget about the basic rules.

\- _I will be right back. I have what you need, your injury is far less terrible than Malfoy's were, but you will still be limping for a couple of days, my boy. These wounds do not heal quickly._

She left to go and get whatever potion she mentioned and Garrus ended me a glass of water.

\- _Thank you man._ Liara, I said, grabbing her sleeve. _Where. Is. Everybody?_

\- _Don't worry,_ she said with a faint smile, putting her hand on mine. _Jacob is in a bed over there, in the back. He's fine, Mrs Pomfrey treated his concussion right away. Mordin is with him. The others are out, searching the hallways in case somebody else needs help. Joker is alright as well, he stayed in Gryffindor's dorm to help with the youngest._

\- _Tali?_ Asked Garrus, worried.

\- _With them. It seems all of the Death Eaters have left the caste by now, I reckon they're alright._

\- _Then what? Any casualties?_

She looked down.

\- _Not that we know off, we are very lucky. They could have killed a lot of people but… There's a rumor. They say they found Dumbledore's body at the bottom of the tower. Dead._

The Headmaster? That seemed highly unlikely… He was known to be a highly skilled wizard, the best of our time, and if we teens were able to hold our ground against the Dark Lord's followers, how could he not?

But well, he didn't, did he?

* * *

Killed by our very own Head of House. At least, so they said, that Snape killed Dumbledore himself. That's why Potter was taking him head on when we saw them, and very likely why he was missing, nowhere to be seen.

As it turned out, even the two Eaters that Garrus and I had fought had managed to escape somehow. Malfoy had fled after participating in our Headmaster's demise, if rumors were to be believed, and no one was arrested. They had just come and go, almost as they pleased, taking their wounded with them. It was a goddamn miracle that no one else got killed. We were very, very lucky, but it also shed a veil of fear on everyone, and it was nothing like the year before, when we had learnt that Voldemort was back. This time, we learnt that he could reach us at the school, in the heart of the "safest place in the country".

The battle proved that there was indeed no safe place from the Death Eaters anymore, and as grim as funerals could go, those of Albus Dumbledore were among the worst of history.

All the Siblings were here of course, although we had decided to remain split up, out of safety. Miranda was far from me, way way too far for my taste, as they put the coffin into the ground.

I heard the muffled cries of many students, mostly among the Gryffindors, but also from people of all Houses, but ours. The phoenix let out a heart wreaking cry when Potter could not prevent a choking, sobbing sound to escape is throat. Granger was standing next to him, tears falling silently and Weasley not far as always, straight like a soldier of the Queen, hands clenched tight into a fist.

If Draco Malfoy and his goons were missing, some Ministry of Magic officials were here, including that bitch Umbridge (what the hell was she doing back here?) but also centaurs, some weird looking creatures, the professors, people from Hogsmeade and so many more. That was the day when the century's greatest wizard, defender of the Light, was returned to the earth.

Despite the sun, it was a very, very somber day.

* * *

**A/N : Hey guys ! Huge chapter here. A good one i hope ;) Ready to dive into the heart and last part of the story, the 7th year? I have a couple of things planned for you...**


	19. Muggle Born

**Chapter 18 : Muggleborn **

What is the stupidest thing you ever did? Does it sometime keep you awake, thinking about what made you do or say that stuff? If the reasons you had back then were actually good enough, or do they seem ludicrous now that you can see the big picture, years later?

For years I tried to convince myself that my reasons were noble, true. The kind of reason that Godric Gryffindor himself would approve. Would this old bastard Salazar approve? That I am not sure of, because the smartness of it all was rather disputable. But in the end, the way it turned out… I think it proved me right. Would things have gone better if I had made another decision? Maybe. But I doubt it. I like to think that this particular choice made a real difference.

That choice was a lie. One of the biggest, stupidest, bravest lie of my life : telling my parents that Dumbledore, our Headmaster, died of old age. It was not like they were reading the wizard's newspaper anyway. I don't even remember what those were saying, were they mentioning a Death Eater attack on the school?

In any case, then my parents asked me, on the way back from the train station, how did the end of the year go, I froze. I could not tell them. Imagine that! "Well, a bunch of terrorists attacked, my friends and I fought them on the front line, I took a dark curse in the leg, our Headmaster, the greatest foe of the worst Dark Lord ever, was murdered. And you?"

So I lied. I said that it went alright, the year was quiet compared to the previous one, but our Headmaster died of old age just some days before. I said there were national funeral for him on the school's ground and that he would be greatly missed. His former deputy, the lady named McGonagall that they met when I was only eleven, would surely take his place. The man was what, roughly hundred and ten years old? Even if wizards tend to live longer, that was still a respectable age.

They shared their condolences, asked if I was okay. I said I was.

How lucky was I that they never found out about the Death Eater attack? Seriously? A single talk with any of my friends, any of my professors, any of the student's parents, and they would have heard things bad enough to flip their skins inside out. Maybe I should have bought a lottery ticket…

Probably as a punishment for my disappearance of the previous year, my father put me to study the very day after my return, and forced me to catch up on this "new weapons" stupid course. His so-called friend was here four hours a day to teach me, and he was as boring a teacher as Professor Binns. So for the first weeks of July, I ended up pretty much cut out of the magical word and its terrible news. Except for the Tribute to Dumbledore by a dude named Doge in the daily Prophet, I didn't read anything any paper until the sky fell on my head, on August 2nd.

On the first page figured the headline about the "sudden passing" of the Ministry of Magic, Scrimgeour, and his immediate replacement by Pius Thicknesse. The picture of the newly appointed bastard in charge was even bigger than the one of his predecessor's obituary. Just by the look on his face, it was not really obvious that things were bad. He looked like a decent, honest fellow. But if he was controlled by whatever way the Dark Lord liked to use, it meant only one thing: after the fall of Dumbledore, the Ministry had fallen too. Voldemort now owned the country, using puppets in high places.

It was just suspicions of course, but then I turned to page two and almost laughed. Or puked, something in between.

_**"Severus Snape named Headmaster of Hogwarts after the passing of Albus Dumbledore**_" was the headline of the article. That had to be a joke, right? He was the first suspect in the death of our previous Headmaster, there was no way… But the article also gave an explanation in the form of a brief interview where Snape allegedly claimed his pride and honor to be named for such a position. At the question of the rumors about his involvement in his predecessor's death, he answered:

_"If there was any sort of remotely plausible ground for these terrible allegations, there would now be an official investigation. To think that I murdered this great man, who taught me, whom I was lucky enough to call a friend, is utter nonsense."_

I knew my former Head of House well enough to know that he would never, ever, make a declaration such at this to a newspaper. At best, they would have received something like an icy "No comment". The Daily Prophet probably invented this whole thing, put those words in his mouth, for the public. And what about McGonagall? How would she let that go?

It was nothing but another proof, if we needed any, that Voldemort owned the media as well, and soon school and our education…

I wanted to cry. I bit my lip a bit to keep the tears inside. We were so, so, so deeply fucked. The war was already lost… Now it was nothing but resistance. What should I do? Maybe it would be just better to leave it all behind. To tell my parents I didn't like the magic world anymore and would like to enroll in the muggle arm? But would I truly be any safer? Even if I, if we, left the country? Even if we moved to Lawson's Island?

And what would that make me? A coward? A traitor? A smart man?

That would make me a prey. A target for all the nasty bastards from Slytherin who would wonder why I was not back at school, only to find out my true origins. That would make me the worst of friends to my brothers and sisters, bound to me by magic. What real choice did I have? I had to go back to Hogwarts, with them. The Clan Song would not let me do anything else.

The real cold shower came the very next day, the very same way : with the morning's newspaper. I remember, I was in my room, sweating from the daily exercise in the summer heat of the house, when the beak almost broke my window with a screeching sound.

\- _Alright, alright! Give me that. Fly off now!_

The bird protested in its own high pitched language, and took off. I unfolded the paper, and froze, again.

"Muggle-Born Registration Commission is appointed! The Ministry of Magic is undertaking a survey of so-called 'Muggle-borns,' the better to understand how they came to possess magical secrets. Recent research undertaken by the Department of Mysteries reveals that magic can only be passed from person to person when Wizards reproduce. Where no proven Wizarding ancestry exists, therefore, the so-called Muggle-born is likely to have obtained magical power by theft or force. The Ministry is determined to root out such usurpers of magical power, and to this end has issued an invitation to every so-called Muggle-born to present themselves for interview by the newly appointed Muggle-born Registration Commission."

I was so fucked. And it got worse when I noticed the picture of the one in charge: the pink bitch herself. Like a damn fool, I had mentioned straight to her face that I was a magic-stealing scum. No way she would let me off the hook just because of was a Slytherin, it might even be far worse.

I was pulling my hair out of my skull when another screech draw my attention. Another owl, looking darker and grimmer than the previous one, was poking at my window. Carrying a letter, it was scratching at the glass.

I opened it with shaking hands.

"_Mr Shepard,_

_It has been brought to the Ministry's attention that, while being a student at Hogwarts, you were currently raised by Mr John Shepard Senior, and Mrs Jane Shepard, both registered to the Ministry as non-magic folks, or Muggles._

_Following this statement, you are being mandated for audition in front of the Muggle-Born Registration Commission, to discuss and update your situation._

_Your presence is therefore required at the Ministry on this Friday 8th of August, at 10am precisely._

_Sincerely,_

_Dolores Umbridge_

_Head of the Muggle-Born Registration Commission"_

Those bastards were not wasting time. Five days was all I had to figure everything out. How to get myself out of it. What to tell to my parents. What do tell to my friends. What to do, and where to go, if I failed. I'm not ashamed to say that I cried in panic. Despite the polite, almost friendly, though official, tone of the letter, the sky was falling on my head, and the whole magic world could be shutting its door on me. If not worst…

* * *

I burnt my brain out for three days. Trying to think of everything, find a proper plan, good lies, testimonies, but nothing seemed to be good enough. I was screwed. I was just about to go in there, tell my piece, and wait for the hammer to fall.

Salvation came by the very same way damnation did: with an owl. But this one came late in the evening of Wednesday, when the summer sun was setting behind the earth. The sound of the beak against the window startled me, and I thought that my personal apocalypse was coming even earlier than it was supposed to.

It was carrying what seemed to be a thick letter. It turned out not to be a single parchment, but a folder, rounded tightly and sealed with a single string. I carefully rolled it out, not understanding anything.

There were three files. Two documents, and a letter. At first, I was completely lost, scared even, but after looking over it four times, I finally understood.

The first one was a birth certificate, from April 11th 1980, of a newborn boy, named Edward Hackett, son of Steven and Hannah Hackett, both pure blood wizards from a small town called Royton, near Manchester.

The second file was a letter on a yellow-ish, worn out paper, shakily hand-written, on the 13th of April according to its date on the top right corner. The text was brief, but clear enough. Steven Hackett, devastated by the death in childbirth of his wife, considered himself as not fit for raising a young boy, and was therefore leaving him to the orphanage, up for adoption.

The third and last paper was the adoption paper, dated just two weeks later, when young Edward Hackett was taken in by John and Jane Shepard.

I was Edward Hackett.

What. the. hell.

So was my whole life a big, giant lie? My identity, everything I thought I knew? Did my "parents" lie to me my whole bloody life? Was it why they were always so cold and distant with me? The explanation to everything weird in my life?

But it didn't make any sense. I had seen pictures of my mother pregnant, they were in an album stored under the TV! I had heard stories about my father when he rushed to the hospital when her waters broke, during a seminar on a NATO base. Something was a lie for sure, either my life, or these papers. And then it hit me.

There was no signature, no instructions, no indications about who sent those files to me, nothing except what no one but me could pick up.

Her scent. A hint a perfume on the paper. This perfume I loved so much when we were hiding in closets to snog.

I had no idea how she did it, but she saved my life.

* * *

Tricking my parents to let me go to the Ministry of Magic was not as easy as it could have been. Since I was seventeen since April, I was allowed to use magic, so a quick wave of wand was easy enough to quickly change the words of the Ministry's letter to give it another meaning.

Then I explained to my parents that I was summoned at the Ministry to update my files and status, now that I was old enough to use magic outside of the school. I also showed them the fake letter, stated that it was no big deal, common procedure and all that stuff. But they were skeptical, wanted to come with me just to be sure. I ended up stating that no Muggles were allowed in the Ministry anyway, that they would have to wait outside. Which was not that far away from the truth, I guess. Reluctantly, they agreed to let me go and canceled my private tutoring for that day.

When the day came, I found myself all stressed out, in front of a blue cabin, shivering all the way through my spine despite the summer heat. I picked up the phone, put it against my ear, and stated my business, as requested by the automatic voice:

\- _My name is John Shepard Junior. I am here on the request of the Muggle-Born Registration Commission for audition._

My sentence barely finished, the booth sucked me in, and I re-appeared in a cold white room, two aggressive-looking wizards in dark robe between me and a door.

\- _John Shepard Junior?_ Asked the taller one. I nodded. _Please surrender your wand for the duration of the audition._

His pal handed me a wooden box, and I didn't feel like I had much of a choice. I took my wand out of my pocket, and surrendered to their orders. The door then opened, and a third grim-faced fellow outside ordered me to follow him.

Out of the arrival room and after a short corridor, we emerged into the main atrium. A giant statue held the bright spot in its center. Two sharped-dress figures, a man and a woman, were sitting onto some weird looking shapes. They gave the creeps by the way they seemed to look at me from above, until it turned to horror when I understood what they took for seats. Muggles. Children, women, on their knees, suffering under the boots of wizards. Well it gave kind of a tone, didn't it?

\- _Move, kid!_ Snapped the man.

I realized that I had stopped walking in the middle of the way, looking at the sculpture. I hurried back after him and he grabbed me by the collar, almost dragged me all the way to an elevator, into which he pushed me in, before coming in as well and closing the door behind him. The elevator took us downstairs, I don't even know by how many floors. I barely heard the disincarnated voice listing the levels, trying to focus on the hearing to come, on my strategy.

He pushed me out as soon as the bell ring and the doors opened. A dark cold took over me and insinuated itself through my flesh and bones. I felt my hopes to get out of this situation fading like vanilla ice cream in the middle of the desert. In the summer. Next to a burning volcano. The despair I felt brought the tears to my eyes, and the only thing that stopped them from flowing was the shining, silvery ghost of a German Shepherd. Keeping his Patronus to heel, the bastard pushed me in the back to make me go forward. I looked up and saw them. Flying around carelessly, crawling like deadly worms, the Dementors missed only the scythes to be an army of grim reapers. I hadn't see any of those since our third year, but frankly, I didn't miss that feeling very much. I tried to keep my head down as much as possible, repeating in my head the words of the Clan Song, or at least the ones I could remember. I heard a scream, or something like it, far in the back of my mind. A scream similar to Miranda's when she broke her bone. I bit my lips.

He finally pushed me one last time, and a huge black door slammed behind me. Almost at the same time, I heard a voice, a familiar voice, yelling:

-_ Next, John Shepard Junior!_

I was in a court room, or what I thought a court room would look like. In front of me, sitting behind a wooden desk on a balustrade, Dolores Umbridge, still wearing some horrible pink attire, was looking at me with the hatred fire in her eyes, and a silvery cat on her shoulder. Next to her, a man, unknown to me, we standing, hands behind his back, like a body guard. On her right, a bit further away, two more persons in dark robe were holding quills, ready to write down everything we were about to say. Above us, the dark shapes of death were still roaming, waiting for the shining shields to fade off.

-_ So, Mr Shepard,_ she started with her usual insufferable voice, _we meet again._

\- _Indeed, Headmistress. Happy to see you well._

She ignored my attempt to sweeten her mood.

-_ Is your name John Shepard Junior?_

_\- Yes, and no._

I tried to keep my voice as steady and firm as possible.

\- _Son of John Shepard Senior and…_

She hold.

\- _What do you mean, yes and no?_

The man behind her had stopped writing.

-_ I am named John Shepard, Junior indeed. Raised by John Shepard Senior and his wife Jane Shepard, both muggles. However, I was born as Edward Hackett, son of Steven Hackett and his wife Hannah._

Her face grew slightly paler, and she started moving pages around on her desk, like she was looking for something. The other clerk, an old woman by the sound of it, whispered something.

\- H_ackett? I know this name… I think it was one of my mother's classmate from Slytherin. Killed himself after his wife's death. Poor fe…_

_\- SILENCE!_ Yelled Umbridge. She kept going through her papers, looking more and more angry.

While she kept searching, she asked me, almost screaming again:

\- _Today at your arrival, a wand has been confiscated from you. 13 inches, sycamore wood with a dragon heartstring. Is that correct?_

_\- Yes it is, Ma'am._

_\- Could you please tell us from which wizard you stole this wand?_

_\- I did not, Ma'am. I bought this wand at Olivanders, like everybody else._

She almost through her papers away, and looked at me straight in the eyes. The room grew even colder.

-_ I don't think so, young man. Only wizards can pretend to wield a wand._

_\- And to this honor, my blood entitles me! I know this could be hard to accept, and even for me this is rather disappointing to know that I have been raised by Muggles. But if nothing else, my real parents at least gifted me with a pure blood! How else would have I been accepted in the noble house of Salazar Slytherin?_

She seemed to hesitate for a second.

_\- And would you have proof of such claims?_

_\- Of course I have, ma'am._

She froze completely. I slowly took the three pieces of paper out of my pocket and raised them higher. She look at her bodyguard.

_\- Yaxley! Go get that._

Reluctantly, he came to me, keeping an eye out for the Dementors, and snatched them out of my hands, almost tearing them. He read through them while walking back to Umbridge's desk.

-_ It looks authentic._

She took the papers almost as violently.

\- _Is it really…_ She went through them all almost four time.

\- _Hackett was close to the Lawson family, if I'm not mistaken_, whispered Yaxley.

Umbridge finally looked up to me, and brought her terribly unpleasant smile onto her lips. I could not tell if she was frustrated, or relieved by those new information. A Mudblood in Slytherin would probably destroy everything she believed in, or she would more likely try to find a way to convince herself that itricked the Sorting Hat and cheated some way. Made me wonder why she did not pushed on this matter a year and a half before, when I told her face to face.

_\- Thank you for clarifying the situation, Mr Hackett. Of course no one ill-birthed would find its place in this respectable House. Mafalda! Please make a copy of these documents, and update your files. And do your research properly, next time!_

_\- Yes Mrs Umbridge. Of course, Mrs Umbridge. Sorry, Mrs Umbridge._

She stood up, walked clumsily to the desk, and duplicated my files onto a blank piece of parchment with a wave of her wand, before handing them to me over the balustrade. I reached out, felt this Yaxley fellow tensing. The Dementors above us seemed to move slightly faster. When I grabbed my letters between my fingers, Mafalda seemed to held them out firmly for a second, looking be straight in the eyes, before releasing them.

\- Y_ou might want to update your identification papers at the appropriate Ministry service, Mr Hackett. A proper good name could take you a long way._

_\- I understand, Mrs Umbridge. And surely I will, but I would not want to confuse my teachers and friends at Hogwarts for my very last year._

_\- Rowle! Please escort this young man out, and get him his wand back. Mr Hackett, please share my regards to the young Mrs Lawson._

_\- I will, Mrs Umbridge. Thank you for looking out for us all, and have a nice day._

The taste of hypocrisy in my mouth was bitter as blood, the strength to keep my smile up was all that I could summon. I wanted to puke so badly, a feeling probably increased by the presence of dozens of Dementors.

Despite me being recently declared innocent of the crime of being a Mudblood, the guy who lead me in, Rowle was it, did not look any less macabre. He opened the door with a groan, his Patronus flickering at his side, and pushed me back in the hallway all the same.

\- _Move, kid! We don't have all day. Many more brats to come._

_\- Well, I guess you guys want to filter the filth out before school starts._

He lifted an eyebrow, slowed his pace slightly.

\- Y_eah, exactly. Maybe you ain't as dumb as you look. We could use some good blood that can align two pieces of thoughts._

_\- I'm flattered, but I think it would be best for everyone if I finished school first. What good would an untrained recruit be to you guys?_

Damn, I felt like a cheap whore. How low would I have to steep to get away with my lie?

-_ Yeah, sure, sure. Alright, move on!_

I came out by the same way I came in. The infamous statue seemed even worse to me on the way back.

I was half expecting a change, coming back home. Almost like you'd expect all your friends to jump from behind the couch on your birthday. But everything was all the same. My father reading some letters, my mother communicating with somebody over her private secure line. They barely honored me with a look and enquiries about how it went. Made the lying all so easier.

I was also expecting to get some news from Miranda. After all, her neat little trick saved my butt, she could have made sure that it had worked. But she sent nothing. She did not come herself either, nor did she send her house elves to check on me at night. The letters from Ashley and Liara, during the following weeks, and a couple of newspapers, were basically all that kept me connected to the inferno that had become of the wizarding world.

Harry Potter was now on the run, and considered as Public Enemy number 1. Some damn Al Capone he was, the young Potter. Almost made me laugh, that a Dark Lord so powerful, now owning almost all that mattered in the country, could be so afraid of a teenager and his two sidekicks. Not even the most powerful one either. But he did, and a full scale manhunt was ongoing, in vain for the time being.

At some point mid–August, we received the letter from Hogwarts, with the list of books to buy for the new and last year. It was surprisingly standard. Innocent. Normal. Unlike the streets of Diagon Alley where half the shops were closed, half of its usual activity vanished, half of its crowd coiled up the dark corner of their fear.

The lack of news from Miranda was concerning. I sent her a couple of letters myself, that remained unanswered for. We all knew that her family could be a big financial ally to the Dark Lord, and therefore a premium target, if not an easy one. But as long as her name was kept out of the news, I would stay put, thinking she had her own motives to keep her head low.

A week later, basically ten days before the 1st day of our last year, another kind of new struck my home. When dinner time came, I already felt a kind of weird mood. My parents waited until the strawberry bowl for dessert to start speaking, which wasn't usual, but the spoke to me, which was.

\- _John, listen. Your mother and I have something to tell you._

So was it the moment where they'd tell me I'm adopted and that none of it was actually Miranda' scheme?

\- We have been contacted last week, by the US embassy. We are being offered a position as consultant for the US Navy, in Baltimore. Give a couple of speeches, help them improve their process. I know it's pretty short notice, but we would start in two weeks, so we do have a quick decision to make. The offer is really interesting for both of us, both professionally and financially, and we're thinking, since you'll be at school all year…

\- _Take it._

It was a blessing. A true, real life miracle. Another one, again. My parents looks at me, conspicuously, weirded out by my quick reaction. I tried to explain:

\- _If it's that good, you have no reason to turn it down. I'd hate to be the reason you'd pass out on that, especially since as you said, I'll be in Scotland until June…_

They looked at each other, sharing an unusual but warm smile.

-_ Alright son_, said my fathe_r. Glad that you see it that way._

The last two weeks of this August 1998 were weird, even for me. I spent most of my time helping my parents packing their stuff for the departure. They were used to getting deployed, having to respond to urgent calls, for which they would pack their bags in an hour barely. But this time it was different. They knew where they were going, what for, they had time to prepare, and nothing but peace at the end of the travel. So they were taking almost half of the house with them, and they seemed to enjoy it.

My father was smiling. My mother was light mooded. They talked to me. No, they talked with me. Like normal, regular parents. I barely recognized them, but I liked what I saw, and when the time came for me to accompany them to the airport, I felt slight unusual pinch in my heart. I was really relieved to see the plane take off, and to know them safe from Voldemort's mob, but I would miss this socially enjoyable version of themselves.

Two days later, I was at King's Cross station, alone, for the first time in seven year.


	20. Welcome to Hell

**Chapter 19 : Welcome to Hell **

The first things I felt, when stepping on the docks, was worry. I looked around, everywhere, trying not to show my panic to the guards in black robes, Voldemort's newest addition to King's Cross, but I was unable to spot any of my friends. No blue hair shining under the dim light, no black skinned Gryffindor, no limping, no giant in the crowd. No delightful flowery scent of an expensive perfume.

Platform 9 ¾ was still very crowded. I noticed less older students, including some that should be in seventh year with me, but more younglings than usual. Many kids seems to be slightly older than eleven though, but I could not remember the face of half of them from the previous year. The parents also looked more unhappy than usual, looking at the ground while walking, holding the little hands tight in theirs, heads covered by hoods or dark hats. I heard more cries of terrified kids than laughs of pranking elders.

I kept my head down as well, and my trunk close to me. I waited for my turn to get in, in silence, listening around to try and recognize someone by voice.

In the end, when the whistle was finally blown, and the wagon started to ramble as the train began to move, I was sitting alone, hidden under my robe's hood like Tali under her hat on a hot summer day. I felt like an escaped prisoner trying to lay low.

When the door of my compartment opened suddenly, I jumped, wand in hand. Draco Malfoy was standing in front of me, as surprised as I was. I was about to ask him what the hell he was doing there, but that would have been a bad idea.

\- _Shepard_, he finally said. _Or should I call you Hackett, now?_

\- _I see words travel fast._

\- _They do, especially at the Ministry. I always knew something was off with you. Who would have guessed that it was a muggle… upbringing. I am surprised that you dare show up here again._

\- _If rumors are all that concern you, Malfoy, maybe we should start talking about the whispers of your involvements in Dumbledore's death. I am surprised that you dare show up here again, as well._

Malfoy grunted. I pushed further.

\- _Is this why you're our here alone, without your goons?_

\- _You better watch your back_, _Shepard_. _You might be a Slytherin, but this will not protect you this year._

And he left, his cloak floating behind him. I breathed slowly, trying to get my pulse back under control. Starting the year by making of myself an enemy of Malfoy was not my smartest move, but crawling at his feet would have been probably worse.

I sat back on the couch, deep within my own thoughts for a bit, until the door opened again.

\- _John_! screamed a female voice. _You're here!_

My head snapped up, recognizing the voice of Ashley Williams, also feeling the warmth of the magic that bound us in my heart. I jumped of my seat and hug her tightly. I was so relieved, it felt like the weight of a bloody dragon just got off my shoulders.

\- _Ash! So good to see you! Where were you? I've been looking all around for you, I did not see you. Are you with everybody?_

\- _So were we! You probably didn't look very hard! Alenko, Lawson and I are in the very first wagon, Miranda kind of booked it for us. We were all there very soon, among the first. We could not have the others with us, to avoid any suspicions. But I've seen them all here. _

Her voice turned to a whisper.

\- _We were so afraid that you did not make it. After everything that happened with the Ministry, and the Muggleborns… Miranda told us about the rumors, but we could not believe it! We thought that maybe you… had to run. I have no idea how we would have done without you._

\- _Sshhh_, I brushed off while grabbing my trunk. _You're resourceful, the lot of you. You can manage without me. But enough chit chat, take me to the group!_

Of course, the first wagon was one of the only ones I had not checked. I was halfway running through the train to get to my friends, trying hard not to check wagons after wagons for my friends in the other Houses. They must have arrived after me, no doubt, I could not have missed them all. Finally, reaching near the front of the train, I started hearing their voices. They were like a song, the chirping of birds, even though Kaidan and Miranda seemed to be arguing.

\- … _can't_, she said. _We can't._

\- _We have no choice!_ argued Kaidan. _Half of the kids in our House have family members in the Death Eaters. It's too dangerous._

\- _What is too dangerous, Kaidan?_

When he saw me, he did not even processed my presence, he just jumped of his seat and took me in his arms. Miranda almost pushed him out of the way to get her turn. I expected, or at least, hoped, for a kiss, but it was nothing more than a hug. A heartfelt, honest, relieved hug, which warmed my heart twice more. All I could managed to say, in the end, was :

\- _Thank you, Miranda. Thank you. For everything. I don't know how you did it, but you saved me._

\- _Yes, tell us all!_ Begged Kaidan, before even asking how I was doing. _She remained quite vague about this summer's event. We just heard rumors about you changing names or something._

I sat down, happy in the warmth of their presence. Miranda gave a quick laugh, before letting me telling the story.

\- _I just received documents. Papers that looked authentic, and that proved that I was adopted. Born pure-Blood, from a man name Hackett, but raised by Muggles. Fancy tale, they bought it all. Hook and sink._

\- _And Miranda arranged that?_

She said nothing, just raised her shoulders.

\- _How did you do it?_ I asked. _Where did you get those papers, such authentic ones?_

\- _My family has its ways_, she answered. _Just like the Malfoys, or the Parkinsons… Although my father would be very much angry with me, if he knew._

\- _And how did you know it was her?_ enquired me Ashley.

\- _We share a common code_, she replied in my place_. A secret one. _She then turned to me and asked. _What about you parents? Are they gone safely?_

I was now dumbfounded. How did she know about my parents? Unless…

\- _Wait… This too was your doing?_

Her smile now became shy, almost embarrassed.

\- _I was not sure it would work… Our connections with Muggles are limited, even more outside of the country, but we do have a couple… I'm sorry I could not warn you about it, I moved as fast as I could. _

\- _But… why? Why all this trouble?_

She sighed.

\- _A Muggleborn is an easy target. A favored one, especially at Hogwarts, and even more in Slytherin. But with the target off your back, I feared it would only switch to your family. A filthy breed that dared to take away a pure-blood from its world. Be sure that they would have been targeted, and heavily. I was scared that, by helping you, I had just pronounced their death. So I did what I could. I was not sure it would work…_

\- _It did Miranda. Thank you, again. You saved me, and you saved them. I owe you much more than I can ever dream to repay._

\- _Don't mention it, please. You have already done more than enough for me. Now we shall look to the future. To Hogwarts. Because it will not be a bright one, I fear._

Kaidan chose this moment to bring back their argument.

\- _And as I said, we should refrain from doing anything stupid! Getting the Siblings together again, training at the Room… This is too risky! We all know that there will be more at stake than detention or expulsion! Gods know how You-Know-Who got his pawns in the school, but I guess it starts with our new Headmaster. _

\- _And I say that we cannot sit still! _Argued Miranda again. _My Father might have avoided the first war, but I will not be a bystander. _

\- _Nor will I, _added Ash. _I did not spend the last two years learning how to fight to coward out when things get tough._

Kaidan begged me with his look, hoping to help the Slytherin good sense take over their foolish Gryffindor bravery.

\- _We shall see,_ I said. _There's no point making plans without knowing the battlefield. We shall wait, see, and do what we can with what we'll have. For now, all I care about is that all of you are alright. I need to see the others too… And I need to eat. I'm starving, and tonight's feast cannot come fast enough. _

During the trip to the castle, in the carriages and through the dark of the night, I barely had the chance to glance at them. But it was enough. For the moment.

* * *

The castle was still as magnificent as ever, reaching for the heavens with its towers, lit by the stars of Scotland. But it was hard, very hard to forget the green shade they had just a couple of months ago. I shivered.

The welcome in the Great Hall was the same as usual, led by Professor McGonagall. I would have expected her to be… I don't know. Filled with angered, ready to lead the revolt or something. But she was as cold, uptight and professional as ever. If the death of her friend and mentor affected her in any way, she hid it pretty well. She let us in, taking our places at our tables, while she would talk to the new first years before the Sorting Ceremony. While we took our seats, I gazed upon the teacher's table. Snape was sitting at Dumbledore's spot, his face as grim as ever. It was a disturbing sight. Almost as disturbing as the faces of Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley missing at the Gryffindor's table, but I guess this was to be expected. Faces were dark, all around, even at my own table, except for a couple of pricks like Malfoy. All of us, we were waiting, holding our breath. This year would be like no other, we knew it, but to what extent? We all dreaded the first words from Snape. But he said nothing, at least not a first. With just a simple nod, he gave the order to let the first year come in, and start the ceremony. This time, though, no songs were sung, and that was one hell of a bad omen, if we ever needed one.

The kids went, one by one. Scared to death, all of them. Some by the fate that would bestow upon them from the Sorting Hat, others by the world around them. The cheers and applauds at the announcements were rare, shy. The younglings would join their newly found home quickly, head low and mouth shut, until the last one was sent to Slytherin, with the faint applauds of our table. McGonagall grabbed the hat back and went, silently and quickly, back to her spot, without another word for the students. We looked up, waiting for our new Headmaster to say the few words we were waiting to start eating.

Snape rose slowly up from his seat and came to the stand. His voice was as slow, deep and as cold, snarky as ever, but something felt slightly different, though I could not say what.

\- _I know what you are all thinking_, were his first words. _That I had a part to play in the passing of our late, and very much regretted, Headmaster, and that me taking his place is nothing short of a blasphemy. But Albus Dumbledore was a dear friend, and as confirmed by the official investigation of the Ministry, I am innocent of these dreadful accusations. _

\- _LIAR! You murdered him!_

The outburst came from the Gryffindor's table. A young man, with a few hair on his face, was standing up.

\- _Mister Longbottom. Of course, out of all people, Gryffindors would have the hardest time accept the truth. Out of respect for your grief, and for the memory of my predecessor, I will not punish this terrible accusation._

This did not sound like him.

\- _But let me be very clear. This is, and will forever be, my only kindness on the matter. Any further lie will be dealt with the most severity. _

Now that did sound a lot more like himself.

\- _Now, please, Mr Longbottom, sit down, so we may move ahead with our evening_.

Neville looked at him straight in the eyes, and seemed to hesitate for a second or two, before sitting back down, without lowering his head the slightest. Snape resumed.

\- _This matter settled, I shall now introduce our two new staff members. Please welcome with me Amycus Carrow as your new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor._

Shy applauds resonated through the all, and Snape himself did not bother himself to do so, but a deep chill went through my skin. It could not be… Could it? Snape did not mention any credential, any reasons for this Amycus guy to be appointed teacher, he instead introduced us to his sister.

\- _Your new Muggles Studies professor will be Mrs Alecto Carrow. Please welcome her just as warmly._

No mistake possible there. I looked around, searching for the face of my friend above everybody else's at Hufflepuff's table. Garrus was looking right at me. He knew as well. Those two were the ones we had fought on the field some months before. We had two full bred Death Eaters as teachers. I barely had the time to process the thought before Snape resumed his little speech.

\- _As you may guess, my new duties as Headmaster will prevent me from fulfilling those of a Head of House. Therefore, Horace Slughorn, your Potions professor, kindly agreed to take over the position. I trust that all Slytherins will treat him with the same respect._

He made a short pause, to let those information sink in. His voice then took an ever lower range, sending shivers down our spines.

\- _Make no mistake. My goal is the same as every Headmaster before me. The same as Albus Dumbledore. To keep this place safe as a place of education and growth for the young generation. And I will not let anyone turn Hogwarts into a place of chaos. We will be unbendable on the matters of safety, respect, and obedience to the rules. I really wish that each and every one of you are grasping the full meaning of this commitment. _

Damn, Snape was good at making threats. Even Gryffindors were silent, looking down at their empty plates.

\- _As consequence of that pledge, and to ensure all activities around the castle serve this purpose, all student associations are now disband, to the exceptions of the Quidditch Teams. Starting next week, a form will be available to students of fifth years and above, should they wish to create, or recreate, an association. This forms will have to be approved by your Head of House, and myself. Now, eat._

And without further niceties, he went back to his seat while everyone went for the food in silence.

I looked over at Malfoy. Unlike what I expected, he was silent as well, not peeping a word nor an order to his two loyal sidekicks. He was pale, looking at his fork without moving. I think he was scared.

A hand suddenly took mine. I scare jumped.

\- _John_? asked Ashley. _You alright?_

\- _Not really, no. Those two new teachers are Death Eaters. That Amycus guy is the one who messed up my leg. Not sure if we're not going to Miss Umbridge's classes, after all…_

Her face turned slightly paler, and she ended up looking blankly at her plate as well. This year was not gonna be fun… The food was already tasteless.

* * *

The mood in the Slytherin's Commom Room was far better, obviously. Except for a few people that would have more to lose with the new order of things, like the poor Aerin, those sons and daughters of Death Eaters were having a good time, laughing and talking about how the school was "finally" on a good path. Draco Malfoy's laugh sounded forced, however. The rumors of his parts in Dumbledore's death should have been the greatest reason for him to boast, but he would just avoid the topic. My guess is that he just didn't have the stomach for it. Like most bullies, he was a coward, deep down.

The absence of Harry Potter was also a favored topic of discussion. What was he up to? Where was he? According to most of the green and silver students, he was hiding in a cave, eating rats with his redhead friends.

The first three days were actually quiet, almost easy. We could tell the teachers were tensed, just by the fact that they were only just slightly overwhelming us with warnings and information about the NEWTS ahead of us, but the classes were actually interesting, the magic complex, and the name of Potter not once spoken.

It all changed on the first Friday on the year, when we would have the new Defense against the Dark Art class, with the Death Eating teacher, shortly followed by his sister's lesson. A bad way to end the week, for sure!

When we arrived into the classroom, I almost expected a full redecoration, with snake, skulls and black curtain. But it was just the same as it's always been. Amycus Carrow was waiting for us, up behind his desk, his hands in his back. He waited for us, Slytherins and Gryffindors, to all sit down in silence.

\- _Good day, young people. It warms my heart to see you all here, ready to learn and grow as wizards and witches._

It was almost hard to recognize his voice from the night we fought in the field. Less panic and anger in his voice, maybe. He moved forward. He was taller than I'd remember, very thin, almost like a dressed up skeleton. His smile showed the bones of his cheeks, reinforcing this impression. He slowly walked up to a young woman of the Red and Gold house on the front row.

\- _Tell me, miss, how do you hurt someone?_

I was sitting further in the back, so I could not see her face, but she seems to be completely lost.

\- _Sorry Professor, I, euhm… don't understand. Can you please repeat the question?_

\- _How do you hurt someone?_

\- _But why would I…_

She did not finish her sentence. Lightning fast, he slapped her with the back on his hand. He hadn't be that quick against us, so I supposed that he had prepared this little move ahead. Almost as quick as him, Neville Longbottom rose from his seat, wand out, pointed straight toward our new teacher. Carrow, however, did not flinch. He just moved his head left, and looked him straight in the eyes.

\- _Nice reflexes, young man. Now put this wand away, before I shove it where the sun doesn't shine._

Dumbstruck, Longbottom waited a second, hesitant, before getting his wand back into his robe's pocket. Two outburst in a week was going to draw a lot of attention for sure, but I guess he didn't care that much. He sat down slowly, never getting his head lower or his eyes off the target. The silence lingered for a minute. After that, Carrow decided to move toward him slowly, and asked him, slowly.

\- _What's your name?_

\- _Longbottom, sir. _

The professor smiled.

\- _Ah, yes. I know that name, a good one. Noble House, good blood, greater warriors. Although not always the best choice of friends, is it now, Mister Longbottom. If I recall, you're also the boy who accused our Headmaster of murder… Not the smartest move, you're lucky he was so magnanimous this day._

Neville stayed quiet. Amycus Carrow seemed to really enjoy this part he chose for himself as the "crazy cool-acting madman", with his crooked smiles and changes of tones. He resumed :

\- _I also heard word of the infamous "Dumbledore's Army". Tell me, Longbottom, I hope you are not planning to resume such risky activities, aren't you?_

\- _It depends, sir, _said Neville with a small grin._ Will you give us a reason to? _

\- _Ah, I see. Yes it makes sense, I guess. Nevertheless, you'll come to see me after class, Mister Longtbottom_.

Without waiting for an answer, he then quickly moved back to the girl he first interrogated.

\- _Let this is be your first lesson here: you do not answer my questions with questions. You answer, clearly and thoughtfully. Now, how do you hurt someone, young lady, _he asked again to the girl who still was pressing her hand against her cheek.

\- _You can hit them, I guess_, she sniffled.

\- _Physical pain, yes. That's one way. Probably the easiest, simplest, most classical and, some would say, the most muggle way to do it. Any other guess?_

Pansy Parkinson raised her hand.

\- _Yes, Miss Parkinson? _

\- _The Cruciatus Curse?_

Carrows smiled, but looked almost disappointed.

\- _Correct, but too narrow-minded. The Torture Spell is far from the only one. The answer I was expecting is Magic, and more efficiently, Dark Magic. Which is why you are all here, aren't you? To know how to defend against it. And to do so, you need to know them. So I will teach you about the Dark Arts… Open your book page 12, and whoever dares open his mouth will be a perfect test subject for today's lesson…_

* * *

\- _So, who would like to try and tell the class why Muggles are inferior to wizards? _

I sighed. The voice of Alecto Carrow voice reminded me of Umbridge, for it felt like its complete opposite. When Umbridge was high pitched and fakely warm, Mrs Carrow's voice was cold and low. Not as smooth as her brother's, it was more threatening, not to mention the content of her first question.

\- _Because they don't have magic,_ answered some random Slytherin ignorant.

Unlike her brother, no wicked smile would lit up her face.

\- _Magic is Might! Yes, of course. But house-elves do master some magic, their own at least. Would you claim that they are our equals? _

\- _Of course not, Madam. _

\- _Then think harder._

The class fell back into silence. She walked among us, like a predator looking for her next prey. Since it was brand new for all of us that this class was mandatory, many students, especially the Slytherins, knew nothing of Muggles, so, of course, she stopped in front of me.

\- _Mister Shepard. I have been told that, despite being a Pure-Blood, you have been raised among Muggles, so perhaps you would be best suited to tell us why they are a lesser race. _

I hold back a snarky comment, then bit my lip to prevent a long, exasperated sigh. Probably too long since she rose her eyebrow. I tried my shot a humour.

\- _Probably because of their ugly mugs?_

A few classmates chuckled, including that dumbass Kaidan who was definitely too good of a public, but she did not smile the tiniest bit. I swallowed back another sigh.

\- _I guess that their lack of magic is just the consequence of a deeper cause. _

Until now, this was not really untrue, but, once again, I would lie down and betray my convictions just to please them and avoid bringing attention upon me. With a nasty taste behind my tongue, I added :

\- _I would say that it's the results of blood impurity. What muggles would call "genetic". Other than that, Muggles tend to by… reckless, violent. They are smart, for sure, at least smart enough to compensate the lack of magic by their technology, but they are perpetually attracted by blood and war, like unsatisfied animals. They lie, they cheat and betray, as a way of life._

She slowly nodded. I waited for a second, but obviously, she expected more. I was done, however. Even if I wanted, I would not know what else to say.

\- _You're insight is correct, Shepard, although incomplete and obviously tainted by the upbringing you went through. But at least your process of thoughts is in the right place. The blood of Muggles is impure. This is not up for debate, this is a fact. What could be up for debate, is the reason why. Some talk about an divine punishment from biblical times. Others, less inclined to religion, argue that despite being similar human being, their origins would actually be different than ours. Another breed of monkey, one could say. Some tales says that it was actually wizards in Ancient Egypt that created muggles out of clay and mud to elevate themselves as gods and have flocks of worshippers, although I do not take this theory very seriously. What are you waiting for, all of you? Take notes! _

She took a step back from my desk and continued her stupid lesson.

\- _Now the real reason, we will probably never know, and it does not matter in the grand scheme of things. What matter is that that their blood carry sins. Greed, hate, war, appetite for blood and sex. You name it. The fact that they don't have magic is just a consequence of this stain, a punishment, if you like. That's why it is imperative that the bloodlines do not mix, if the wizarding world wishes to survive. Take a glass of water. Let a drop of ink into it, and just notice the result, it speaks for itself._

A hand rose in the air. Alecto Carrow froze for an instant, like she hesitated to allow the question, twice more when she understood who wanted to ask it.

\- _Yes, Miss…?_

\- _Lawson, Miranda Lawson. I would like to know, based on those… explanations, why it is that wizards are sometimes born in muggles bloodline. Muggleborn, as we call them. _

\- _Ha yes. The mudbloods. I was expecting that question, although not from someone like you._

Even if it sounded like an ironic laugh, no smile ever appeared on her lips.

\- _The answer commonly accepted among those who researched the topic is that, somewhere in the ancestry of those specimens, you would find a pure-blood wizard who turned away from the good path and mixed with muggles. Magic, in all its beauty, would sometimes find its way through the sins of the blood and a resurgence would happen. It is, sadly, a tainted, weak magic, that is only comparable to some lower creatures like house-elves. _

Next to me, Kaidan's hand jumped in the air. I tried to stop him, but did not react in time.

\- _Yes, Mister?_

\- _Alenko. What about Squibs, then? _

\- _In our world,_ answered the teacher with a loud voice, _nothing is ever truly perfect. Even magic, as I just mentioned, can sometimes fail to reach its absolute potential. And we cannot allow these incomplete individuals to spread their disease further into the community, no matter how unlucky it is, for the sake of our future. Now, enough with the question. Page twenty one. Read in silence._

The chapter of this damned book was titled " World Wars, proof of muggle savagery".

How long could I keep myself from biting my lips to blood?

* * *

**A/N : Hello there! I'm sorry it took so long to get this out. You'd think that corona lockdown would give me time to write (and you'd be right), but I was just not in the proper mindset...  
****I would add that I was really excited to start this part. 7th year is probably one of the most interesting one, since we don't know much about what happened at Hogwarts... So I did a lot of researches. At started over a couple of times because i wanted to get I right... So I hope I did, and that you enjoyed ! The plan is roughly to do a chapter / a month, until the final battle... So stay tuned for more ! **


	21. Discipline

**Chapter 20 : Discipline **

Snape was standing straight like an old candle in front of every single student. The silence was lingering, the greasy bastard was taking his sweet time.

It was almost 8pm and we were starving. The day had been rough, packed with challenging classes, and the rainy weather did have a strong impact on our mood. It had been the fourth day in a row without a single ray of sunshine, which was not unusual in itself, but much harder to stand this year around. And here we were waiting. We had been warned by our Heads of House that the Headmaster wanted to speak to the students before dinner. What we didn't know is that he would make us wait for almost an hour before opening his damn mouth.

Of course we all had an idea of what was to come. It took barely two weeks before a chaos similar to the worst times under Umbridge to ensure. The dirty sweets from the Weasley Brothers came back full force (I suspect they made a ton of money during those two weeks), kids were skipping classes more than ever, finding all sorts of reasons to go to the infirmary. Many fights happened in the hallways, usually between some Slytherins and Gryffindors, although it was far from the only cases. It was sometimes bullies picking up on younger kids, especially if they were half-blood. Sometimes it was over stolen candies or whatever kind of childish debate. Sometimes it was planned and agreed upon just to send each other to the Mrs Pomfrey… In any case, we were just about to get hit in the face by the consequences.

Finally, just after the crowd chuckled at the sound of a stomach growling through the silence, Snape delivered his long-awaited speech.

\- _I suppose none of you will be surprised when I say I am disappointed. Very disappointed. In this very room, at this very same spot, just a month ago, I told you that I would do my very best to ensure the education of the children of the magical world. I told you that I would not let anyone turn this school into a place of chaos. It seems that some of you decided to try my resolution._

Dramatic pause, during which it seemed like he did not even breathe.

\- _The fights, the lies, the cheating, the disrespect, every last bits of rule-breaking that have been happening those past two weeks will now be met with utter severity. This is why, after deliberation and discussions with the Ministry and the Heads of House, Mr and Mrs Carrow will assist me as Deputy-Headmasters, effective immediately, and will be tasks to enforce the rules of this school. All matters of discipline with be handled by them, and they are allowed to solve them as they see fit. Every teacher here have already been briefed and will report any occurrence of rule-breaking to Mr and Mrs Carrow on the spot. I hope tonight's message will be fully heard and understood by each and anyone of you. Enjoy your dinner._

On that last note, he went back to his seat and started eating his pulled pork like nothing happened. After some seconds of baffled silence, the clanking of forks and knives slowly rose through the hall, until the moment the talks reached their usual volume, despite a much different content. During the whole dinner, I kept my eyes on the two teachers. They kept talking to each other, seemingly angry at something, maybe at Snape for not letting them give a little speech, or round of applause. Snape who, surprisingly, did his very best not to look at them, ever. Maybe they were not that much on the same side? One thing I remember most, though, is how pale Minerva McGonagall was.

* * *

None of us dared to talk. The sound of the potion bubbling in the back and the fire crackling underneath was comforting in way. I don't really know if it's because we all were going through the last steps of puberty or not, but the potion room felt even smaller, like we would bump into each other at every move.

\- _What do you think it means, this story of Deputy Whatever?_ finally asked Joker.

\- _What d'you think?_ Grunted Kaidan. _They are Death Eaters. No way it's gonna be all sunshine and rainbows… Remember last time we had something similar, it was the High Inquisitor and her Squad of goons. I bet it will be the same thing, or even worse._

\- _I'm all for the "wait and see",_ added Jacob, _but I really think we should be preparing for the worst here… And by worst I don't mean detention. I mean torture or death._

I sighed, feeling like I was slowly but surely drowning in waters too deep for me. Umbridge had been a challenge, but this was a whole other level. A one-night battle against masked figure was one thing, a full year a resistance against a tyranny in power was another. I sighed again, admitting to myself that I didn't have much of a choice anyway.

At least, getting our little club back together had been easy. True to his word, Snape had opened application with a magical form, that Miranda got approved for us by the very next day. Both our Headmaster and our Head of House knew of this operation for two years, they had no reason to stop good students working on their potion skills. Obviously, they still had no idea of what we've been doing on the side of these potions. However, we still hadn't met in the Room of Requirement. I was just thinking about it when Garrus called me out on this exactly.

\- _So what are we waiting for to get back to training?_ He asked. _John? Do you have any plans?_

\- _We can't!_ spat Kaidan before I got an chance to answer. _What the fuck are you not getting here? The war took a bad turn for us! We cannot go back in there! It will get us all killed! Just the fact that we are all standing in this room is suspect enough._

This was a rare outburst for a guy like Kaidan. He was usually one of the most cheerful, for the lack of being one of the bravest. He buried his head in his arms. Something was obviously wrong here. But before I got the chance to ask, a knock on the door made us all jump out of our seats.

\- _What the hell…?_ Muttered Joker while limping toward the door.

It was the first time in two damn years that anyone would knock during our meetings. Slowly, almost scared, Joker opened the door. Two young women were standing behind.

\- _Euhm…? Hello guys!_ Smiled shily the first one, a flash redhead with freckles on her cheeks. _Garrus?_

\- _Kelly? Samantha? What are you doing there?_

Their names popped back into my head. Kelly Chambers and Samantha Traynor, both friends of Garrus in Hufflepuff, one year younger than us. They were here for the very first meeting we had two years before, but decided to decline the invitation, not fully convinced by my plan or motivated enough to go through it.

\- _Come in,_ I said, getting of my seat. Damn we were packed in there. _What are you doing here, girls?_

They looked embarrassed. Garrus had to press them a bit to get an answer.

\- _Well we… We want in! We know that Garrus was still meeting we you lot, we figured that you have been doing what Shepard explained two years ago. We know you were out fighting last summer when... when it all happened. So we want in, now. We changed our minds, and we want to fight. Or learn to, at least._

Silenced settled in for a few seconds. I didn't really know what to say and do. I didn't have to, because Miranda jumped in and took us all by surprise.

\- **_Obliviate! _**

The look in the girls eyes became blank, empty. The pretty black haired one, Samantha, then smile and said:

\- _I'm sorry we disturbed your class. We'll see you soon, Garrus_.

And they got out. Nobody moved until my tall friend started screaming.

\- _What the goddman hell, Miranda? What did you do? Why? _

\- _What do you think?_ She snapped_! They're two years behind us now! They will be a burden to all of us, and a danger to themselves! We would need to start over, redo the Clan Song ritual! It's safer for everyone, us and them, if they just forgot about our business_!

\- _You had no right! You can't run around erasing people's memories like it's just a fucking homework! _

\- _I did what's best for all of us! Kaidan said it, it's war! There's no tiptoeing anymore! _

\- _Alright, stop!_ I screamed.

They obeyed.

\- _It's done. Poorly done, maybe, but I agree with Miranda. I would not have accepted them, and it's now more dangerous than ever. James Vega is not at school anymore, but the girls were in a lot of danger just by knowing. I feel better knowing that we don't have to rely on our trust in people not bound to us by the ritual. Do you agree, Garrus?_

\- _I do! I never said I wanted them to join! I said Miranda pulled shitty one by not even consulting us._

I looked at the culprit.

\- _Miranda? Do you plan on doing it ever again?_

\- _If I have too!_ She insisted, her arms crossed in defiance.

I sighed.

\- _Well, please. Try to ask me beforehand, at least… Now about the trainings. Mordin, Joker, try to find out if the Dumbledore's army is gathering again. If so, we can do like in fifth yeah, and use them as smokescreen. If not, let's wait for the first Quidditch match to try and gather at this moment. Until then, we keep quiet, practice our daily exercise, and do not let any of these bloody gits screw up with our minds. Get it? If we want to have a chance in all this, we need to stay focused._

* * *

We had seen confrontation between between McGonagall and Umbridge. They used to look like an Owl battling a toad, and sure enough, the claws were always sharper than the slimy tongue. This time, however, the old owl was fighting against a snake, and I was not sure that her beaks and claws would be enough against his poison.

\- _I am sorry, Miss McGonagall_, smiled Amycus Carrow_, but the rules are pretty clear. Any matter of discipline needs to be reporter to my sister or myself._

\- _Any matter of discipline concerning Hogwarts, yes. However, what happens in my classroom, and especially concerning the assignments I chose to give, are my concerns alone._

The class was silent. Lavender Brown, subject of the discussion, was livid. She had done nothing except missing the deadline for the first Transfiguration assignment of the year. She asked for a delay, which was refused, and by the next class on the following week, here we were witnessing the Death Eater arguing with the Head Of Gryffindor about how the student should have been reported for that.

\- _I fear I do have to disagree on that. Maybe we should bring this to the Headmaster, to clear this issue once and for all. I do admit that this is the first case of failed assignment of the year, so maybe the procedures are not fully worked out just yet. I will get back to you._

He turned to Lavender and gave her his most disgusting smile.

\- _I'll be in touch, Miss Brown. Have a good day._

The chill that went through my spine was gut-wrenching. The Gryffindors in the class were tensed, clenching fists and teeth, but the Slytherins were not by any means less comfortable with the situation. Even people like Parkinson or Malfoy did not dare to smile. The morning after would give them a good reason.

As far as November mornings can go, this one was really, really cold. The fire in the Common Rooms were not enough, Professors had to cast warming charms into the classrooms. Flitwick had just finished his in the DADA classroom when Amycus Carrow entered, slightly late, but accompanied by a young kid from third year, wearing nothing but a large black pant. Shivering, he was crossing his arms across his chest to try to keep the warmth inside. The old Charm teacher froze for a second, but then lowered his head and hurried out of the room, clenching his fists.

\- _Good, good, you're all here_! claimed Carrow, driving the kid to the front of the room with his hand tight around the back of his neck. _We can start right away._

\- _Professor ! You can't keep Maxim half naked like that! Give him a robe!_

\- _Shut up, Longbottom! Maxim here has been caught yesterday putting a Vomiting candy in a young comrade's soup. He therefore needs to be punished, and will be a perfect subject for today's lesson! __Kid, stand there. Don't move_.

Maxim obeyed, without a word, shaking in cold or in fear, I don't know.

\- _I believe all of you know what the Ministry used to call the Unforgivable Curses. The Killing Curse, Imperium and the Cruciatus. Right? Right. Now, do you know why they have been forbidden for so long? Yes of course you know. Or at least you think you do! Those are forbidden, because they provide power, as much as they are a demonstration of it. You need power to cast those, and being able to use them properly only makes the wizard more powerful, if nothing else by the fear it provokes. _

He paused, for dramatic effect surely.

\- _Magic is intent. You know this, we all learn this on our first year. Sure, the blood carries its weight, so does destiny and you need a bit of both if you want to make your mark in History as a powerful wizard. But none of it is enough without the basics, and mastering the intent alone is enough to make you one of the best. Now, why does these three curses, despite being prohibited, are so hard to cast for most of the wizardkind?_

\- _Because it requires a strong will and lots of intent?_

\- _Yes! Exactly, miss Greengrass. Ten points to Slytherin. But I guess the proper way to truly comprehend that is to try by oneself. __Come here, Miss Greengrass. Come. Let's try._

Shyly, the pretty blonde walked among us, head down low, to the front of the class.

\- _Here_, said Carrow smoothly, like she was his young lover, taking her by the hand. _Aim at Maxim here. There is no wand movement necessary. Just the incantation, Endoloris, and the intent. Remember the intent. _

Daphne looked at him in horror, but at the insistence in his look, he turned back to the young Maxim. I could almost tsee the tears in the corner in her eyes.

\- _Endo… **Endoloris**!_

Her voice was weak, shaking, and Maxim, scared to the death, only grunted and barely twitched. Before our "professor" could add a word, a voice, no, a raging scream, erupted from the front row.

\- _STOP IT, YOU FUCKING PSYCHOPATH!_

\- **_Endoloris_**_! _

The scream of rage turned into cries of pain when Neville Longbottom fell from his desk and rolled onto the floor.

\- _You will shut your filthy mouth in my class, Longbottom! And never, EVER speak to Professor with this insufferable tone! You hear me, Longbottom? I will teach you respect!_

Carrow was spitting foam as the anger filled his word. It's only when he was finished that he lowered down the wand and broke the spell. He then turn to us, and brought his smile back on.

\- _Now, you see? This is how it must be done. How intent gives life to the spell. You need to want it. You need to overpower your target's mind. You need to focus, fill your mind with the intent, and never let your resolve weaken. Now, Miss Greengrass. Try again and please remember, you need to want it. Maxim here made a grave mistake, and need to be punished for it. You know it, he knows it. So do not hesitate._

Another student rose up from the ranks, fists on her table. Parvati Patil, usually so quiet in class, spoke clearly, but her voice trembled with rage.

\- _Anyone who tries to cast that spell will be dealt with. I am not kidding, we will fight you._

\- **_Endoloris!_**

This time, Carrow did not hold the spell more than a second, but it was enough to leave the brave girl crying on the floor. He sighed, as he was just merely displeased.

\- _What is with all these Gryffindors, I'm wondering… I will have to talk with McGonagall about all this. Now, back to our session. Miss Greengrass, if you please?_

But on these words, all of the Gryffindors stood up, Jacob and Joker included. One grabbed Patil by the arms and help her up, while another carried Longbottom who could barely put on feet in front of the other, and in silence, without a word, all headed toward the door. It took some time for Carrow to understand what happened and when he did, his smile turned to stone.

\- _Any of you who steps out of this classroom without my authorization will have a week worth of detention!_

It did not stop any of those courageous bastards to walk out, and slammed the door behind them. But they knew, they all knew, that they had left one of their own behind. The youngest, the most defenseless. It took a couple of tries, but by the end of the session, Maxim was properly crying in pain. Kaidan clenched his fists so hard he broke a finger and Ashley bit her lips to the blood.

* * *

True to his promise, and despite Mrs McGonagall's protestations, the whole class of seventh year Gryffindors spent two hours every evening of the following week on detention. Because of this, Jacob and Joker missed the two next meetings of our group, but we saw them during some classes… I mean, we saw them once, then only Jacob, as he managed to pass a note to us, explaining that Joker was in the infirmary because of broken bones… No doubts that his disease would not slow down the Death Eaters. It's only the week after that we all got to be together again, his bones healed thank to Mrs Pomfrey, that they finally explained to us what happened.

\- _Those sons of bitches_, raged Jacob, showing us the marks in his back. _They used whips! Fucking whips, like we were disobedient slaves four hundred years ago! _

Thin white lines crossed his back, like it could have been just a reflection of the light on his dark skin. The magic, of course, healed those wounds easily, but scars always took a couple of extra days to disappear. By the end of the week it would be like nothing happened, but those mark were enough to testify of the violence of the punishment.

\- _That's not even the worse part_, wept Joker, his head down to the ground. _It was not enough that they made us watch. They forced Neville to whip Parvati. He refused of course, so they kept punching him in the face until he passed out. Revived him, heal his bruises with a goddamn potion, and started again. When they saw that it would not work, they just had somebody else do it… _

We were baffled, angry, shocked. Liara had tears in her eyes.

\- _But that's torture… not punishment! That's… I can't believe this is happening. Torture on children, in our own school! We need to bring this to the Ministry! To the newspaper! To everybody!_

Miranda had a deep sigh.

\- _Would not change a thing. It's enforced by the Ministry! The Minister himself put those two bastards as Deputies, and confirmed they have full power to "bring back order to our school"…_

Joker had a very, very sad smile. It's like he did not hear the girl speak.

\- _Funny thing is, they didn't broke my arm. They noticed that Jacob and I were friends, so they wanted me to do it on him… I didn't want to but, he told me it was okay. You know, it's not like I could hurt a big fellah like him, _he chuckled, _but I tried to do is slow but this bastard Carrow was onto me… I tried to pretend to hit harder, just a bit so it wouldn't hurt too much, but I just broke my stupid arm instead…._

\- _Don't worry man_, smiled Jacob with a soft pat on his shoulder. _My dead grandmother hits harder than you. It's alright._

Joker actually laughed thought his running tears.

Ashley turned to Kaidan and whispered:

\- _You still want to sit tight and do nothing?_

He answered nothing, but I did.

\- _Fuck it. That's enough. In two days we gather in the Room. All of us. Mordin, I have a project for you. It's time to start fighting this goddamn war._

* * *

A/N : Hello friends ! I apologize for taking this long to update :(. I don't stop writing, but I just spend much more time working on my music, nowadays.


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